Forgotten Memories
by 19-twilight-fan-93
Summary: After a drunken night, Isabella fell pregnant by an unknown man. With her brother's help, she raises her child, but what happen when two little boys with green-eyes show up at her day-care? Will all her questions finally be answered? All-human.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story, all rights belong to SM.**

**Here's my story that has been nagging at me for the past few weeks. Don't worry, I WILL update my other stories, just give me until Friday. I'm bogged down with studying for exams right now, and this chapter was almost done, so on my study break I finished it, and he's the result. **

**Give me some feedback :D If I don't get a big response by Friday, I'm just going to remove it. With all my other stories, my chapters ate started -not finished just started. **

**Like I said, I have exams the whole week, and not high school exams, UNIVERSITY level exams, so I have to know every word down to the last detail in order to get any marks at all, I know, my life sucks right now. **

**On the bright side, I have 3 exams left, and I'm done on Thursday. So after Thursday until January 5th, I will be free -with the exception of Christmas visiting- to write until my fingers are full of blisters; gross, I know.**

**Any ways, enough rambling, start reading already! And review :)**

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><p>"Bellaaaa" Alice whined. "Please come with me." She gave me her best puppy dog face, and she knew she had me.<p>

"Fine Alice, I'll go, but I won't be having fun." I pouted and crossed my arms as my best friend of 15 years pulled my arm up the stairs towards her bedroom.

Her birthday is 2 weeks away, and her parents just gave her a surprise birthday gift. Two tickets to see the hottest new band that she's been obsessing over for weeks; Eclipse.

She's been begging me to go with her, but I found out last month that this new band is also my _brother's_ band.

My older brother, Emmett Swan, recently moved to New York in hopes of becoming his ridiculous dream of a rock star. He is 4 years older than me so I was still in high school when he moved. When I found out this band was going on tour, and their first stop was to Forks, Washington, I knew something wasn't right. As soon as I told Emmett about Alice obsession, he gave me the tickets right away; even though I didn't _ask_ for them.

I gave the tickets to her parents, just to make sure it was alright for us to go, and then decided to let them give her an early birthday present since their little girl was turning 18 and they had no idea what to give her.

Of course when she open her gift she screamed and jumped in delight, kissing and hugging her parents before turning to me and begging me to go with her. I knew it was going to happen, but I also knew the torture that came with 'Plan Alice'; the one thing I hated the most, Barbie Bella.

Four hours later we were both dressed and ready to go to the concert. Alice had the biggest smile on her face, and I couldn't help but be happy for her, even if it was my brother's band.

Her parents even went to the extremes in ordering a limo and bodyguards to take us to the concert. _Maybe this night will be fun._

When we arrived we walked down the red carpet, because when my brother gave me tickets, he went all out; VIP passes and a personal meet and greet.

Growing up, Alice, Emmett and I were always doing stuff together. Living across the road helped too. Emmett was the older protective brother we both needed to get the boys away from us, so when he moved away; it was like a part of us were missing. She don't know this is his band, but boy will she be surprised when she go to the meet and greet and see him standing there, or when he comes out on stage with his band.

The security team met us at the door and lead us backstage. The meet and greet was the first thing on the agenda since there was still 45 minutes until the concert actually started.

We walked down hallways and finally stopped in front of the door clearly labeled, 'Eclispe'. I couldn't help the smile that formed on my face; I was going to see my brother again. The last time we saw each other was 7 months ago during Christmas, and he and our father never ended on the best words, causing him to return to New York before New Year's Eve. I haven't seen him since, but we still stayed in touch.

The security guard knocked on the door before opening it and waving us through. I watched Alice's reaction as she saw the 5 members of the band. Only three faces were familiar; Emmett, Jacob, and Sam.

"Ohmygod!" Alice squealed in delight while jumping up and down. She turned towards me and gave me a tight hug for such a tiny person before turning back to Emmett and jumping in his arms. The other members stood there shock just watching her.

"Emmy!" She yelled as he wrapped her arms around her tiny form.

"Hi Ali." He smiled as he set her down. Then he looked towards me, "What? No hug for your big brother?" He teased. I walked towards him, but unlike Alice, I only hugged him around his waist, pinching his side as I let go.

"OW!" He yelled, rubbing the spot where I pinched, causing the other band members to jump in surprise. I just smirked.

"Ali, Bella, this is Eclispe. You remember Jake and Sam right?" we nodded; they were close friends with Emmett as he grew older, and occasionally came to our house to watch the hockey, or play video games. "Well, this is Edward", he pointed to the Greek god that never took his eyes off me since I entered the room, "And Jasper," he was also good-looking, but since Alice jumped on Emmett, and she found his eyes, they never broke apart.

"Guys, this is my little sister Bella, and her best friend, Alice Brandon. This is who I gave the VIP tickets to." He laughed, as if they had an inside joke.

We both waved shyly ts the rest of the band as they smiled towards us.

We laughed and talked with the band for about a half hour, and before we knew it, we were being escorted out of the room and to our seats.

The concert was amazing, of course. I knew my brother was always a talented singer, but I didn't know it was possible for him to get better.

After the concert we ran backstage to see them again. Even with wet faces, and sweaty t-shirt they were still good-looking.

"So, what did you think of that?" Emmett asked putting his elbow on my shoulder; yes, I was that short.

"Meh, it was alright." I shrugged.

I screamed when he grabbed me by the waist and threw me over his shoulder.

"It's time for the after party!" He yelled as our friends followed us through the door. I looked back at Alice, but couldn't get her attention as she had her eyes on the blonde, Jasper.

Once we reached the back door Emmett put me back on two feet, but by then I'm positive my hair was a mess and my face was flushed. As I fixed my hair, I felt eyes on me, but when I looked back up, I couldn't tell who they belonged to. I shrugged as I followed my brother out the back door and into the limo waiting for them.

"Wow, you sure do know how to ride in style." I laughed.

Jacob walked next to me and poked me in the ribs, "Jealous?" He teased. I stuck my tongue out at him before following Alice inside the limo.

The ride to the 'after-party' was about an hour, but since we were talking the whole way, it only felt like twenty minutes at the most.

I was squished between Edward and Emmett, while Alice was between Jasper and Jacob. Sam was on the other side with his girlfriend, Emily, who we learned after that she was their manager, publicist and everything in between.

Even though we were 18, we still entered the bar with no questions. It was a private party, and our names were surprisingly on the list.

When we entered the club, it was filled with a lot of people and loud music. Alice looked towards me and smiled, reaching over to hug me.

"Thank you." She said in my ear over the loud music. She pulled away before I could reply, so I smiled in response.

The night began with some talking in the VIP section of the club. It turned out that Edward's family owned the club, which was why Alice and I were about to get in without question.

We also found out Jasper was a twin, and his sister, Rosalie, was dating my brother. When we heard this I looked at Emmett with a raised eyebrow, which he returned with a sheepish grin and a shrug.

Several times that night I was asked if I wanted anything, and since I wasn't old enough to drink alcohol legally, I politely declined. Finally my brother had enough of me saying 'no' so he marched downstairs to the bar to buy me a drink. I never tasted the alcohol, even though I kept playing with my glass to make it look like I was drinking it.

Half way through the night, Alice, Jasper, Emily, Sam, Jacob, and Leah (a girl he met at the bar), were on the floor below dancing to the music. Rosalie had texted Emmett letting him know she was on her way over, so he almost ran down the stairs in his hurry to meet her at the door. With everyone gone except Edward, we had no other choice to talk, or endure the awkward silence.

When Emmett and Rosalie returned, Edward had just finished telling me about the boys daring Emmett to jump in the mud. He was so drunk he thought it was a pool, and ended up with a broken wrist from the impact with the ground.

Even though I felt bad for my brother, we couldn't help but laugh at the situation. I was so out of breath by the time I stopped laughing I took a big gulp of my drink without noticing what I had in front of me, or what I was actually drinking.

One drink lead to another, and eventually someone was pulling me out the door.

The last thing I remembered from that night was waking up the next morning in my bed, alone and naked.

The following days were torture; vomiting almost everything I ate, and having weird cravings for egg and peanut butter sandwich. When Alice caught me running to the bathroom for the fifth morning that week, she demanded I go to the hospital.

I eventually got called in, and with Alice sitting next to me, the doctor told me news that would change my life forever; "Congratulations," She said with a smile, "You're pregnant!"

I looked at Alice, then my world went black.

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><p><strong>Who's still with me? What did you think? Leave your thoughts as reviews! <strong>

**I promise my stories will be updated by Friday, or at least by Sunday! **

**Since it's so close to Christmas, it's time for a Christmas Countdown to start! **

**.~*~.~*~. 14 days till Christmas .~*~.~*~. **

**Review please :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**NOTE: If you are seeing this chapter updated for the second time, it's because instead of using Ethan and Noah like I had planned, I used Liam and Noah. Don't worry, I fixed it, so it won't be as confusing any more. **

**Another note, I'm writing this chapters without them being beta, and I have a lot on my plate right now, so any mistakes you see, please don't be afraid to point them out! **

**As a thank you, REVIEWS = PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER! ;)**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters belong to SM.<strong>

**If I was asked to express the response to the last chapter in one word, it would be: WOW! **

**I posted this story a day and a half ago, and so far I got 7 reviews (THANK-YOU!), 206 hits, 1 Community (:D:D:D), 13 Favs, and 11 alerts! All I can say is wow! **

**As a HUGE thank-you, I'm posting the next chapter. This was originally 9 pages long, and 3,045 words, but I shortened it, because when I re-read it, it was a lot of events in one chapter! **

**I'm gonna stop there. Thank you again to everyone who was included in the stats above, but a huge thank you to all my readers! You are my inspiration :D**

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><p>"Mommy.", the voice of my five-year-old filled my ears as I woke from another dream of the green-eyed man.<p>

"Momma?", She asked again.

"Mummy", Mackynzie sighed as I never moved from my place.

"Mami", my kid has watched too much Dora.

I felt the bed move and little feet pad across the floor and down the stairs. I was about to follow her when I heard the unmistakable sound of my brother's voice.

"Hi Mac!" He yelled excitedly. When my brother found out I was pregnant, he quit the band and moved all my things to New York to live with him. After much convincing, he rejoined the band, but they were never the same.

When Mackynzie was born, he complained that her name was too long, so he started calling her 'Mac'. As she grew older, she absolutely loved the name. So when someone asked her to say her name, she excitedly tells them her name is "Mac". Even though I tried several times to get her out of the habit, it did no good.

I heard her squeals of excitement and large feet running up the stairs.

"Go wake Mommy, Mac!" he whispered.

"She won't wake up uncle Emmy." My five-year-old whined.

"Then I'll just have to jump on her-"

"Can I do it?" She squealed in excitement.

"Sure." Emmett laughed. Oh, big brother, you're going to get it for that!

I heard her tiny feet tip-toe across the room and get up on the bed. Before she had a chance to jump on me, I twisted and grabbed her by the waist, quickly laying her in the bed, and tickling her sides.

"Mommy, mommy, stopppp." She giggled. "Uncle Emmmyyyy!" But when she looked at the doorway, Emmett was gone. She pouted but continued to laugh.

After a few minutes of tickling, I leaned down to kiss her nose, "Good morning princess."

"Good morning Momma."

"Do you know what today is?"

She nodded in excitement, "My first day of school!" She squealed.

"Let's go fill you tummy for your first day of school then."

She smiled as I lifted her from the bed and we both made our way downstairs.

Rose was at the table feeding Liam, her and Emmett's baby who just turned one, and Emmett was at the counter putting food on plates for us.

"Hi Liam," Mackynzie said in her baby voice, causing Liam to gurgle and spit all over her face. She turned towards me with a frown on her face, and despite my best effort not to laugh, Emmett let out a booming laugh, causing me to giggle a little as well.

"He likes you Mac." He winked as her, causing her to glare at her uncle.

"Oh honey, come here." Rose smiled at her, and grabbed a napkin to wipe her little face filled with eggs from Liam's mouth.

"There, all cleaned." Mackynzie smiled at her, and sat next to me to eat her breakfast.

When breakfast was finished and the dishes was washed and put away, I got my daughter ready for Kindergarten, and Rose got Liam ready to bring to her parent's house. When school is over for Mackynzie, Emmett picks her up, and drops her off at his parent-in-laws house until we get off of work.

It helped that Alice was the Kindergarten teacher, and I knew Mackynzie would enjoy her first year of school with her favourite aunt as her teacher.

When Emmett quit the band, so did Jasper, but as for Edward, Jacob, and Sam we never heard from them since the night of the concert.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was a scared teenager, but my parents were fully supportive of me and Alice and Emmett was by my side the entire time. I was too drunk to remember who the father of my child was, and whoever it was, never came forward, so I never bothered looking for him.

Besides, with my brother and sister-in-law's, and Alice's help, Mac and I got by just fine. As soon as I get my pay-check from my new job, we'll be moving into our new place.

Sure it's nice living with my brother, but he has a family of his own to look after now, and we need to let him raise his family.

We all had to ride together this morning because my car was in the garage getting fixed. After dropping the kids off, and dropping Rose off to the high school, Emmett and I made our way to the day-care, where a bunch of kids await the arrival of their new teacher. I was nervous, but I was also looking forward to teaching.

By the end of the day I knew all 15 of my three and four-year-old kids names, and since they quizzed me every chance they got, I was a pro by 1 o'clock. I waited by the door with them for their parents, and after thirty minutes, only two kids remained. They were twin boys, Ethan and Noah, who reminded me of the green-eyed man in my dreams, with their bright green eyes.

"Hey guys, is your mom or dad coming to get you?" Noah shrugged and frowned.

Ethan turned towards me, "We don't have a mom, and our dad is always busy, so he probably has a babysitter coming to get us." He smiled sadly as he turned back to the window. My heart broke at his words, how anyone could not love these two little boys, I'd never know. Their green eyes and blonde hair stole my heart right away.

"I'm sure your ride will be here soon." I attempted to smile, but the boys never turned to look at me.

Twenty minutes passed, and I was getting worried. I quickly grabbed my phone and called Rose's parents, letting him know I still had two kids left waiting for rides, and asked if my daughter will be alright with them for a few extra hours. Of course, they both loved my daughter like a grand-daughter, and excitedly agreed.

When I returned to the waiting boys, the reflection of red eyes, and puffy cheeks in the window told me they had cried.

"Miss Bella, can you call our dad for us?" Ethan sniffed as his hand reached out to grab Noah's hand.

"Of course," I smiled. "How about you come back into the classroom?" They both nodded and followed behind me.

I found their emergency contact number in the attendance sheets, and quickly called the number.

_"Hello, Rachel speaking, how may I help you?"_

"Hi Rachel, this is Isabella Swan, I have Noah and Ethan Cullen with me, and day-care has ended an hour ago. I was wondering if there would be anyone here to pick them up, or if you would like me to arrange a ride home for them."

_"Sorry Miss Swan, I'm not related to the boys, but I'll transfer you to their father. One moment please."_

Before I got the chance to thank her, I heard music in the background. After several minutes, someone answered slightly out of breath.

_"Hello?"_

"Hi, Mr. Cullen, is it?"

_"Yes, how may I help you?"_

"I'm Isabella Swan, Ethan and Noah's day-care teacher. School has been out for an hour, and the boys are still waiting in my classroom. Is there someone coming for them?"

"_Yes, I'm sorry about that. My father is on his way to pick them up __now. Time got away from me, and I forgot to let him know. I'm sorry again."_ That voice, where have I heard that voice before.

"It's no trouble, the boys were good as gold. But please arrange rides ahead of time so there won't be a problem. And if a ride is not available, just called the day-care the day before and someone will drop your kids off."

_"Like I said Miss Swan, time got away from me. I'm sorry for your trouble, it won't happen again."_ He paused, and after a minute he spoke again. _"Is there anything else I can help you with?"_

"No, that would be all, thank-you. Have a nice day Mr. Cullen."

He grunted out a reply as the phone clicked. Before I got a chance to deliver the good news to the boys they were running out of the classroom screaming "Grampa!"

I quickly followed them out the door, and watched them as they hugged the tall blond man standing next to the main entrance. He looked up when I cleared my throat.

"Oh, hello." He smiled.

"Hi, you must be the boys' grandfather?" He nodded, but before he could ask questions, I interrupted him.

"I called the boys' father about five minutes ago; he informed me you were on your way."

"Ah, yes, I'm sorry about the wait. He never called me to tell me I had to pick them up from day-care. When I called them to ask about the boys' whereabouts he freaked out and said he was in a surgery and time slipped away from him."

"Ah, don't worry about it Mr. Cullen. I assure you, the boys were angels while they waited."

"It's not the best way to start their schooling experience, but I'm sure Nana's cookies will make up for that." He smiled down at the boys who were tugging on his pant legs at the word 'cookie'.

I just laughed as he waved and walked through the door with the boys in tow.

When they were out of sight, I returned to my classroom and slumped in my chair. I loved kids, but who knew they could drain the energy from me in such a short time.

With the thought of children, my little girl crossed my mind, so I quickly gathered my things and called my brother to pick me up.

When I got home, Mac and Liam were on the living room floor watching Dora and eating animal crackers. Mac would never eat them until she saw her cousin eating them, and she declared she loved them. When I bought her a box, she proved just how much she loved them by eating all six packs in one night, then delivering them right back in the toilet four hours later.

Despite the crackers making her sick, she still wanted more.

Looking in the living room I decided to leave the kids for now, at least until Dora was over, and go talk to my brother and sister-in-law in the kitchen.

Their faces were inches apart when I entered the room, and I quickly left as fast as I came. I saw too much already, and who would want to interrupt their moment.

Sighing lightly I made my way upstairs to my room.

As I lay down, I felt my eyes drift close, thinking of those two little boys with green eyes.

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><p><strong>Everyone still with me? I know some of you think it obvious who the father is, but I honestly didn't try to make it seem like that! <strong>

**And it might surprise you in the end ;) Think about it...**

**and while you thinking leave a review, or leave a review of what you are thinking, or think about reviewing while you are reviewing. (I'm 99.9% sure it's the flu talking right now.) But seriously, review :) Because when your home in bed, and can't breathe, you need to read encouraging words to make your day 100 times better ;D**

**On the bright side; 13 days till Christmas (if you don't count today, but count Christmas day!)**

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><p><strong>NOTE: If you are seeing this chapter updated for the second time, it's because instead of using Ethan and Noah like I had planned, I used Liam and Noah. Don't worry, I fixed it, so it won't be as confusing any more. <strong>

**Another note, I'm writing this chapters without them being beta, and I have a lot on my plate right now, so any mistakes you see, please don't be afraid to point them out! **

**As a thank you, REVIEWS = PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER! ;)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters belong to SM.**

**Ahhhh, I LOVE YOU GUYS SOOO MUCH! Which is why I posted ANOTHER chapter. This one is shorter, with only 1,245 words, but I promise it's a good one! **

** And if I get the response for this chapter like I did for the previous two, then expect another chapter TOMORROW :D **

**It's wrote, because it's the end of this one, I simply cut it off, and made two chapters. Yes, I'm evil ;}**

**Don't forget to tell my your thoughts by reviewing, and starting this chapter, those who review will get a preview of what's to come in the next chapter! :D **

**Time for you to read, and me to shut-up, meet you at the bottom. :)**

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><p>- 3 weeks later-<p>

"Mackynzie, it's time to get up." I said, as I gather her clothes for the day.

The first week of kindergarten she would get up an hour before it was time to leave. Now, I have to drag her out of bed in the morning.

We moved out of my brother's house –much to his disappointment- to the house ten minutes away from him. It wasn't a far move, but when Mac started crying and hugging Liam, telling me that Liam wouldn't let her go because he's going to miss her forever - her words, not mine - I had no other choice but to find another house, which conveniently enough, was two blocks away.

When I showed her our house, she loved it. It was kind of big for just the two of us, but if my daughter is happy, then so am I.

"Mackynzie Alice Swan, get your little butt out of bed now." I looked at her from the doorway. She was covered up to her chin in blankets, with a little frown across her face.

"Makynzie", still no movement.

"Fine, no chocolate pancakes for you. I guess Liam is going to eat them all." Hearing the words 'chocolate chip pancakes' I thought for sure she was going to get up, but still, no movement from my daughter.

"Momma?" She whined, her voice horsed, and her face was sickly pale.

"Oh baby, why didn't you tell mommy you were sick?" I asked as I rushed to her side, trying to make up for being a horrible mother by kissing her face, and checking her temperature at the same time. The poor little thing was burning up!

"Come on honey; let's get you to the hospital." She never made a sound while I got her dressed, and took her to the car. As I made sure I had everything –purse, money, Molly, her stuffed dog, and Lulu, a pink blanket with a rabbit head attached toit- I looked in the back seat at my daughter and saw her shivering. So after making sure the car doors were locked, I quickly ran back in the house to grab a blanket, and some orange juice for the road.

When we arrived at the hospital, we got called in right away. Even though her symptoms looked like nothing more than the stomach flu, the nurse told me they would have to run some test to make sure. While we were waiting for the results, I called Emmett to let him know what was going on.

_"Bella? Oh thank god, where are you?"_

"Em, calm down. I'm sorry I never got a chance to call you, but I had to bring Mac to the hospital."

_"What's wrong with her? Is she okay?"_

I sighed, "The nurses assured me it was nothing more than the stomach flu, but they had to run some more tests."

"_Oh honey. She's going__to be__alright. Rose is on her way over. Call me when you hear something, okay? And tell__Keke__(Liam's name for her) that her uncle is going to have a big surprise for her when she gets home."_

"Emmett, don't go spo-"

_"If Liam was sick, you would spoil him, so no complaining. Love you little sis."_

"Love you brother bear."

As we hung up, I turned to see the doctor entering the room.

_No, it couldn't be._

"Mrs. Swan?"

"Just Miss, I-I'm not married."

He nodded and continued to look at his charts. "I'm Dr. Cullen, Mackynzie's doctor. After running a few tests, we think your child is having an appendix attack."

My face grew pale, this meant surgery. I looked over at my little girl in the bed clutching to my hand, my poor little angel.

It was then I heard my sister-in-law's voice.

"_That's my niece in there, and her mother is__in there taking__the news alone, so you will let me in with her now!"_

_"Ma'am I'm sorry, you are not allowed to go-"_

_"What would you do if your child was sick, and you were taking the news alone?" She hissed at the poor nurse taking her fury._

The doctor stepped outside the door.

"Amelia, it's okay, she can come in."

Rose never spoke as she entered the room, but by the look on her face, something wasn't right.

"As I was saying, all her symptoms show an appendix attack, and we would like to keep her in for a few days to watch her progress. You said there was no sign of pain?" I nodded my head, my eyes never leaving my daughter's little face.

"Right, we think it will hit her within the next couple hours, but if you can fill out a few forms, I'll get her a room, and get everything straightened out." I went numb as I signed my name on the papers, and handed them back.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. She'll be back on her feet in no time, I promise." Rose said as she comforts me.

I nod my head and the tears began to fall. I wish I could take the pain that she will have to go through from her little body, and have all the pain myself. A little girl, especially her, doesn't need to experience this.

-2 hours later-

-Third person Point of view-

Dr. Cullen walked down the hallway pass the little girls room for the tenth time in the pass twenty minutes. Mackynzie's mother looked just like his old band mate's sister, but he couldn't be sure. If it actually was the Bella Swan he was thinking about, then that meant she would've gotten pregnant with her little girl at 18 years old, and the Bella he met wasn't pregnant, and certainly didn't look like she wanted to raise a child so young.

He sighed as he walked into his father's office again.

"Edward, stop pacing, you're going to put a hole in my floor." His dad smirked as he watched his son try to steady his shaking hands.

"Are the results back yet?" He demanded.

Carlisle Cullen shook his head, "Edward, you do know if you get caught, you could be arrested, right?"

Edward nodded his head, "Dad, her mother is Isabella Swan, she talks about her 'Uncle Emmy', and she has green eyes, and pieces of bronze coming through her hair. You said yourself how much she looks like me!"

When Edward had seen Mackynzie for the first time, he ordered a DNA test, along with all the other test required for her condition. Of course, he asked his best friend, Sam, to run the test so no one would get suspicious.

Just as Carlisle was about to answer there was a knock on the door. "Come in." He replied, rubbing his face with his hands.

Sam poked his head around the door, "I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Both Cullen men shook their head, and he entered the office with a folder in hand, quickly shutting the door behind him.

"I ran that DNA test you asked for, and here are the results." Sam handed Edward a folder. "If you excuse me, I have a few more things to finish up before heading home to Emily and Bailey." Without another word, Sam briskly walked out of the office.

The Cullen men looked at the results together. Carlisle reached over and squeezed his son's shoulder, as he stared at the results.

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><p><strong>I'm sorry it was so short, and it was getting so good, then nothing. hehe<strong>

**Remember; Reviews = Sneak peek of chapter 3!**

**P.S. I'm almost done chapter 4! You guys are my inspiration, so as long as you keep reviewing and reading, I'll keep writing :D**

**P.P.S I need a beta! If you're interested or know someone who is looking for stories to beta, please let me know! Right now, I edit the stories myself, and use an online grammar checker thing I found. So two things, 1)Review, and 2)I NEED A BETA!**

**P.P.P.S 12 days till Christmas!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I think you know what I'm about to say! **

**WOW! Just wow. you guys are amazing! Honestly when I started writing this story, it was something I wrote to take a break from studying, and it's become so popular in just three days! THREE DAYS! I posted chapter 2 less than 24 hours ago, and so far I have 25 REVIEWS, 1,002 HITS, 21 FAVES, and 38 ALERTS! That's not including all the Author faves/alerts I've been receiving. **

**I sat in front on my laptop for a half hour, just watching my e-mails pop up. My readers are amazing! **

**I also have a new beta. mommyof3boys has offered to to beta my stories, and let me tell you, she is amazing, and fast and amazingly fast! **

**Starting after this chapter is posted, those who reviewed, NO MATTER WHICH CHAPTER, will receive a preview of chapter 4, which is done thanks to my amazing beta!**

**So enjoy this chapter, and enjoy you preview, (it's not too late to review! I'm accepting reviews until Thursday before chapter 4 is posted. :)**

**One more note, (who read these things any ways) if my amazing readers can give me 50 reviews by Saturday, I'll post every chapter I have written so far. And right now I'm at chapter 7! It's only three days, but I believe in you :)**

** So get reviewing! But before you do, here are some questions/comments asked in the reviews! You can skip over them if you wish, but I comment on a lot of the reviews, so your might be there :)**

I noticed in the reviews that some of you are asking questions, so I'm going to answer them. If you take time to read it; great! If you skip the author's notes completely; that's fine too. But this should give you a better understanding of the story!

Q; (General question) Is the father Edward?

A; I'm not going to answer that one, it'll be answered shortly, I promise ;)

Q; Narcissa-Weasly asks: Shouldn't she guess it is Edward if the last thing she remembers is talking to Edward?

A; Yes and no. She was in a night club, with a bunch of other people, the last thing she remembers is hearing his voice because that was the last person so spoke to sober. That doesn't necessarily mean the last person she was with was Edward.

Q; Narcissa-Weasly asks: Shouldn't Emmett recognize parts of Edward in Mac?

A; Again, yes and no. Maybe he knows there's a possibility of him being the father, but he just don't want to admit it. He was the one, after all, that helped Bella raise her daughter when the father didn't come forward.

Q; Narcissa-Weasly asks (again, lol): Shouldn't Rose recognize Edward?

A; See future chapters ;)

Comments:

C; Why would he care if It's his daughter? He left Bella after getting his rocks off! He had no right to get that test done. Doesn't he have enough to deal with two sons? I hope he doesn't make Bella's life hell.

A; Maybe he was curious. Maybe he knew something that no one else did. He's a doctor and as long as he doesn't get caught, how's anyone going to know, especially Bella? Although it is risky with Charlie being a cop and all. ;) he do have two sons, that is a lot of work, but… see more. As for the last part, what's a good story without a little bit of drama?

C; Poor Mac I hope it isn't anything too serious.

Finally someone see how alike they are! If Edward isn't the dad, I will be VERRY surprised.

A; Don't worry, she'll be fine. As for Edward being the dad, well…see more. ;)

C; OMGOMG please update soon and dont give this story away to someoe else to write your too good a writer and you know how to work stories and balance them and also make a twist,your very talented dont forget it! great chapter,i hope you update soon.

A; Don't worry, I never give my stories up for adoption because I simply have my story in my head. I know how this story is going to end. And I have it all planned out, but again, it's in my head. J I'll update my story tomorrow. As soon as I'm done my final!

C; I love your story! I also love how you spell Mackynzie, its such a pretty way of spelling it

A; Thank you! And yes, I love that spelling too, it's the same way my best friend spells her name.

C; (Anyone else notice that this C; looks like a winking face?) great story i didnt think i would like edward and balla stories but you changed my mind lol i cant wait to read the next chapter

A; Glad I could change your mind (: I promise, other characters will come into play as well. (I just don't know when, but they will get here eventually)

C; Jeez...Edward is like "Johnny appleseed" Just spreading his seeds all over the place. Who knows how many other *seeds* have been planted...

A; Hahahahaha, your comment is by far my favourite! It actually made me laugh so hard that I read it a second and third time before I moved on! I'll definitely be looking forward to your comments in the future!

That's all promise, I'll try to do this ever chapter from now on so there's not as many. (On second thought, I want more each chapter, because that means more reviews :] )

**That's all, you can start reading now :)**

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><p>Edward stood outside Mackynzie's door, the recent test had come back positive, and Mackynzie would need surgery before her appendix exploded, which could be fatal, especially for a little girl her size. He just didn't know how to tell her mother.<p>

As he was about to enter he heard hushed voices inside.

_"What do you mean Rose?"_

_"Bella, you were both drunk, don't you remember?"_

_"That's the problem! I woke up alone and naked, and no memory of the night before."_

_"Alright Bella, just please calm down. Maybe it wasn't him, maybe it was some else."_

_"Are you blind? They look so much alike if I didn't know any better I'd say it was true!"_

_"Let's not think about this okay? I'll call Em and get him to help us figure something out."_

Edward chose that moment to knock on the door then poked his head inside. His thoughts were running wild as he entered the room, but he forced himself to calm down.

"Miss Swan, I have the results back." Bella looked at him with hope shining in her eyes. Rose reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it and looking at her face.

"It looks like Mackynize is headed for an appendix attack as we predicted earlier. And for a child her age and size it could be fatal. But we caught it in time so we can bring her to surgery now, and remove it."

Bella and Rose shared a look. Rose signed and looked at the doctor, "So there isn't another option is there?"

Edward sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

"You can do the surgery. This little girl is my life, and I just want her to be healthy again." Bella wiped a stray tear as she finished speaking.

Edward nodded, and explained the procedure, then gave her forms to fill out and told them he would return shortly to take her in.

Rose hugged Bella then told her she would be right back. She was going to let Emmett know what was going on, and to check on her son.

Bella nodded and continued to fill out the forms.

Rosalie had to force herself not to run out of the room after Edward.

When she got in the hallway, nothing stopped her from running to catch him.

When he saw her coming, his first thoughts went to Mackynzie, but when his left cheek began to throb, he knew that wasn't the case.

"You bastard!" Rosalie hissed.

"Rose, good to see you again." Edward glared at her, while nursing his cheek. "Let's take this to my office." He grabbed her elbow and pulled her down the hallway and in the safety of his office.

"It's you isn't it." She whispered as she sunk in her chair.

Edward shrugged; he knew what she was talking about.

"Why didn't you tell her Edward? I thought you were better than that."

"I don't know if she's mine." He trailed off.

"The similarities are unmistakable! The eyes, the hair, tell me you can see it too?"

"I see it Rose, but I don't want to believe it."

"Of course you don't, what happen to that slut you were with?"

"That _slut_ is my wife, and the mother of my son's. If you didn't hear, she passed away after giving birth."

"Or ran away." Rosalie mumbled, but Edward didn't hear it.

"Listen, I don't have time for this. I have a surgery to prepare for." He was about to get up from his desk when Rosalie put a hand on his arm stopping his movements.

"If you care about her, you'll tell her the truth." With that, she got up and left the room. Edward sat there stun for a few minutes before shaking his head and walking towards the OR to prepare for surgery.

Bella's POV

I thought I was going to go crazy with the waiting. Mackynzie was in the OR for three hours, and I was worried to death that something had happen to her. But when the nurse came out and told me she would be going to the ICU until she woke, I let out a sigh of relief and followed her to see my brave little girl.

Rosalie went home shortly after, and told me Emmett would be here to see me soon.

Mackynzie was still deeply asleep when Emmett, Henry and Vera –Rose's parents- walked in the room.

(A/N: For all you Twilight fans out there, I couldn't find Rose's real parents name, so I used her human best friend's name, and her best friend's son.)

They were each carrying something for Mackynzie.

I shook my head and stood up as Emmett hugged me and kissed my forehead. "She's going to be okay sis; she's a fighter like her mom." I smiled at him as my eyes filled with tears.

Emmett placed the Dora helium balloon that said "Get well soon. ¡Mejórate pronto!" on the table next to her bed. Vera and Henry had gift bags in their hands, and a dozen pink and purple balloons.

"Thank you," I smiled. "She's not going to know what to do when she sees all this stuff." I laughed as Vera and Henry hugged me, and then kissed Mackynzie's forehead.

"Was she in any pain before she went into the OR?" Henry asked as he took a seat in one of the chairs.

I nodded my head, "she kept crying and holding her belly, but eventually the crying tired her out and she fell asleep."

"Rose probably didn't tell you this, but she was the same age when she had to get her appendix out. That's probably why she wanted to be there for Mackynzie, because she knew what it was like." Vera told me, while holding her husband's hand.

We talked for the next few hours, until Dr. Cullen came back in and politely asked everyone to step out. Emmett stayed in the room with me for support as he checked my baby girl over.

By then, Emmett had forced me on his lap so I would be more comfortable. He knew I needed sleep, and like a good big brother, he made sure I got it.

He kept whispering in my ear all the silly things we did as kids which made me laugh. He never liked seeing me upset or crying.

Eventually Dr. Cullen left again, letting us know to tell him when Mackynzie woke up. I nodded and laid my head on Emmett's shoulder again.

"Hey, she's going to wake up soon, and she's going to need her mom alert and right there next to her. How 'bout you go home and get some sleep? I'll stay here, and if she wakes up or even moves, I'll call you right away. Henry and Vera were going to drop by the house anyways, so you can go with them." Emmett said as he comforted me.

"Em, what happens if she wakes up and I'm not there?"

"Trust me Bells, I'll take care of her, and I'm sure the balloons will keep her occupied until you get here. Now go get some sleep sis." He kissed my forehead once more, before standing and taking me with him. He placed me back in the chair and went to the door. Henry came back in and helped me to the car. I was so drained from the days events I couldn't even think right.

We made it to my house in no time, and Vera quickly ran in to get some clothes for me. When she got back in the car, we drove the two blocks to Rose's house. I thanked Henry and Vera once more, said hello to Liam and Rose, then went upstairs for some sleep. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Edward and I were in his office talking about Mackynzie when I interrupted him.

"Edward, there's something I have to tell you. I don't know how you're going to take it, but please hear me out." He nodded for me to continue, so after taking a deep breath I began again. "I-I think Mackynzie is yo-your daughter." I looked down at my hands, afraid to see his reaction.

When he was silent I continued to talk. "I mean, the resemblance is obvious, and she has your green eyes and bronze hair. And that night after the concert the last person I remember was you. And then when I woke up all I could smell was you. And when I saw you that first day I brought her in, I was afraid to face you. And I didn't kn-" I was cut off from my ramblings with a kiss. Not a hard kiss, a soft passionate kiss. I closed my eyes, willing myself with wake, and when I never did, I threw myself into it too.

When we broke apart we were both panting.

"Bella, I was drunk that night, as were you, but I am her-"

A knock cut him off mid-sentence. _"Bella?"_ Someone called from outside the door.

"Ignore it. What were you going to say?" As I looked back towards Edward I noticed how ghostly he was. "Edward?" I asked, but when he never replied, I slowly reached my hand up to cup his face. But I never got a chance to touch him because he faded away before my hand reached him.

_"Bella?"_The voice called again.

When the door flew open, I jumped awake to see Alice standing there with hand still on the doorknob.

"Oh, Bella." She sighed as she ran towards me.

She hugged me tightly as I sat up in the bed. "As soon as Rose called me I rushed over. Jazz is down stairs, when you get ready we are going to the hospital."

"What time is it, Alice? How long have I been asleep?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes.

"It's 6:30 in the morning. Mackynzie woke a few minutes ago, but she hasn't asked for anything yet, because she's still feeling a bit of the anaesthetic." I nodded as I got up from the bed to get ready to go back to the hospital.

"Can we run to the house to get her some-"

"Already taken care of." Alice smiled as she held up two large Dora gift bags. I shook my head as I continued to get ready. I should've known Alice would spoil her with clothes instead of balloons, or teddy bears.

Twenty minutes later we walked into the hospital, each with a coffee in hand, and an extra one for Emmett. As soon as I opened the door to Mackynzie's room, her eyes widened, and her face lit up, and although she didn't move very much, I could tell she was returning to her old self again.

"Hi Momma." She whispered. I handed the coffees off to Alice and ran towards my brave baby girl.

"Hi princess, mommy was so worried angel. How are you feeling?" I asked while giving her lots of little kisses.

She giggled a little before smiling at me. "I feel better momma, no more pain." She shook her head a little and when she saw Alice standing next to me the smile on her face grew wider.

"Hi Mrs. Hale." She giggled when Alice put her hands on her hips.

"Hello Miss Mackynzie Swan." She sat on the bed next to her.

She squealed when she notice the Dora bags on Jasper's arm. "Uncle Jazzy, are those for me?" Jasper was about to answer her when Alice cut him off.

"Nope, those are for my niece, because she had her appendix out last night, and was a brave little girl. But you're my student. Now I have to go find my niece." She teased and was about to get off the bed when Mackynzie's face fell.

"But Aunt Ali, I'm right here." She whined.

Alice mocked surprise, "There's my favourite niece." Mac giggled before looking serious again.

"Aunt Ali, I'm your _only_niece." Making sure to stress the word 'only'. Alice smiled at me, little girl was becoming her old self again.

After an hour or so Emmett left, promising he and Rose would take turns coming back to check on her and me. Since it was still in the middle on the week, Alice and Jasper had to leave soon after. They promise to come back as soon as they could, and Alice told Mackynzie that she would have a surprise tomorrow for her. Mackynzie's face lit up to that.

I had to call the day-care and apologize for not notifying them about yesterday. They assured me it was no big deal and that my daughter was my main priority now. I was going to phone the school and let them know about my daughters absence but Alice assured me she would take care of it.

Now it was only a matter of waiting for my daughter to get better.

Several times that day a nurse came to check on her. Making her do things she thought was 'silly', but to see that smile on her face was all the reward I needed.

After supper Dr. Cullen came back in the room. After arguing with Rose yesterday about him being the father, I couldn't look him in the eye. I was afraid I might see the obvious resemblance.

He assured me that she would only have to stay in the hospital a week at the most, but would have to miss at least two weeks of school. I nodded, and shared words, all while trying to avoid his eyes; which wasn't hard considering he was checking over Mackynzie the entire time.

Before he left he told me there was a surprise waiting outside the door for me. He offered to stay with Mackynzie while I went to look at it.

When I open the door, the last person I'd ever think of was standing there with a smile on his face and a Diego balloon in his hand.

I let the tears fall as I ran into his arms, whispering "Daddy."

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><p><strong>So, I'll be in hiding until chapter 4 is released ^_^ Remember Saturday and 50 reviews, equals chapter 4!<strong>

**Love you all!**

**Give me some Christmas love!**

**P.S 9 days, 21 hours left till Christmas :)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Do I really have to write it again?**

__**I'm sorry this chapter took so long, but since I've been home I haven't had a chance to sit down and relax, so I'm posting this at 2 in the morning. **

**The next chapter will be posted before Christmas (which is Sunday) but after that I can't promise when the next one will be. It is Christmas and that means visiting. **

**Major thanks to my beta; mommyof3boys. She edited this chapter and helped me improve it! **

**Enjoy the chapter any those who reviewed chapter 3/4 will be a preview of chapter 5 which is almost done! **

**Don't forget to review :)**

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><p><em>Last time: <em>

When I open the door, the last person I'd ever think of was standing there with a smile on his face and a Diego balloon in his hand.

I let the tears fall as I ran into his arms, whispering "Daddy."

"Bella, I'm sorry I never got here sooner. When Emmett called me-" I looked at him through watery eyes, making sure I heard him right.

"Emmett called you?" I asked stunned. Last I heard those two weren't speaking.

Dad nodded, "He told me about Mackynzie, and we made up. Is he here now?" I shook my head, and rested it back on his chest.

"Don't worry baby, Mackynzie will be okay. She'll get through this and be back to her old self in no time and I got presents for her." He smiled, causing me to giggle.

**Edward's POV**

I sat next to Mackynzie's bed as her mom went to talk to the man in the hallway. I knew it was her father and she would be happy to see him, that why I offered to watch Mackynzie. I was done with my shift anyways, keeping Mackynzie for my last visit, before I left the hospital and returned home to my two prides and joy; Ethan and Noah.

Mackynzie was watching the last part of Dora on TV when I sat down next to her. When it was over, the TV clicked off and she turned to face me as much as she could with all the wires connected to her little body.

"You like my mom." It wasn't a question and it caught me off guard for a minute until she spoke again.

"She likes you too." She smiled before looking down at her hands in her lap.

She never gave me a chance to speak because she spoke again soon after.

"I don't know who my dad is. Liam has a dad and a mom. I only have a mom. But I love my momma so much; I just wish I had a dad too." She frowned and her eyes began to tear up. _No, no, no don't cry, the last thing I need is for her mom and grandfather to enter the room and see her crying. _

"I'm sure you have a dad that loves you very much." I had to bite my tongue there for a minute; she didn't need to find out like this.

"Do you have kids?" She asked curiously.

I nodded, "Two little boys."

"What's their names? How old are they? Where do they live? Can I meet them? Oh, please let me meet them? I love Liam, but he's only one. I want someone to play with. Pleaseeeee can I meet them?" When she was done speaking she looked at me with those cute puppy dog eyes I get from my boys all the time.

"Woah there Princess. One question at a time. Their names are Ethan and Noah. They are three and a half years old. They live about 15 minutes from the hospital. You can meet them if it's alright with your mom. I'm sure they will love to play with you." I smiled as she took all the information in.

"Thank you. I always wanted brothers." She smiled as she rested her head on the pillow, before I knew it, her eyes were closed and she was drifting to sleep.

I waited for twenty minutes and when I knew she was asleep, I quickly poked my head out through the door. When there was no sign of her family, I slipped through the door again, quietly closing it.

"Oh Mackynzie, you have a father. He loves you with his whole heart but he doesn't know how to tell your mom. I want to be the best father in the world, give you ice cream, and take you to school. Give you...brothers. But I need to tell your mom. I'm sure she's going to hate me for keeping it from her all these years and you're five, that's five years of your life I'll never get back. I don't know what to do Mackynzie, please tell me what to do."

"Tell her the truth." A voice said from the door.

I quickly turned around, careful not to knock over the chair. There standing in the doorway was none other than Isabella Swan. She had tears flowing down her cheeks and her arms crossed over her chest.

I cleared my throat, "Miss Swan, I didn't hear you come in. Uh, Mackynzie fell asleep, so …I have to go."

"Edward, why didn't you tell me? You're her father and you knew all along! You made me go through the pregnancy alone! You bastard! I waited for someone to speak up; I had to go through school with people making fun of me for being pregnant and not having a boyfriend."

"Bella, plea-"

"It's Miss Swan to you." She seethed. This wasn't how I wanted her to find out. I wanted to tell her myself, face to face. Now I ruined everything.

"_Miss Swan_, can we go to my office and I'll explain everything." She glared at me but walked towards the door.

As we stepped outside a large man was walking around the corner.

"Bella, is everything okay?" He asked, looking between the two of us.

"Everything is fine dad, can you stay with Mackynzie. Dr. Cullen would like to speak with me." He nodded and entered the room, but not before glaring at me, as if he knew what was going on.

When we got to my office, I quickly sat in my chair behind my desk, inviting her to do the same.

"You have 10 minutes _Dr. Cullen_. 10 minutes, then I'm gone." She sneered as she crossed her arms and fixed her glare on me.

I ran my fingers through my hair nervously, took a deep breath and looked her directly in the eyes.

"Bella, that night I saw you at the concert, you were beautiful…"

"_Emmett, when are the children supposed to get here?" Jake asked teasingly. _

_Emmett had told us last night that he gave out two VIP tickets to two girls, but didn't tell us anymore than that._

"_The teenagers should be here soon. They are supposed to arrive an hour before the concert." Just as the words left his mouth, a knock came on the door. One of our security men opened the door and let two girls in. The one with brown hair looked about 17 or 18, while the short black haired one looked about 15. _

_What surprised us all, except Emmett was the pixie like girl squealing "Emmy" and jumping in his arms. _

_I thought Emmett was dating Rose? I looked towards Jasper who just shrugged. _

_After the girl with brown hair hugged Emmett, he introduced them as his sister and her best friend. Then he laughed when he told us they were who he gave the tickets to because honestly, we came up with some pretty wacky ideas in the past 24 hours._

_We talked and laughed, when it was time for them to go to the concert, I wanted to see those big brown eyes again, but I never said anything, unlike Jasper and the small girl, Alice, who locked eyes, and talked the entire time while ignoring the rest of us. _

_When they left, we got ready to go on stage. A few times I lost my focus thinking of those beautiful eyes and the way she would blush when she looked at me. _

_After the concert we were gross and sweaty, but that didn't stop Emmett from teasing his sister. Before knew it, we were on the way to the after party. _

_My parent's owned a club out in Seattle and that's where we were headed. Of course you had to be on the list to get in and tonight, the place was rented out just for us, with all our friends and family. _

_Once we arrived in the VIP section, it was ten times harder to keep my eyes off of Bella. She just had a certain personality that caught my attention. _

_After a few hours, her brother ended up buying her a drink, I was drinking myself, but when I watched her nurse her glass, never taking a sip, I stopped drinking as well. _

_Eventually everyone left Bella and I in the VIP section by ourselves. I didn't want to make our time together awkward, so I started telling her funny things about her brother. We laughed so hard; she grabbed her glass and drank it in one gulp, then demanded another one. By that time, Emmett had returned and was staring at her in shock. _

_He looked towards me, "You turned my baby sister into an alcoholic." I thought he was angry at me; I jumped in surprise when he let out a booming laugh and slapped me on the back saying, "Good job!" _

_I smiled back in shock and Emmett went to get her another drink. _

_Two hours later, she was all over me and I was all over her. I knew I wasn't half as drunk as her, but I could still feel it. _

_The last thing I remember from that night is waking up at 6:30 in the morning, a naked Bella next to me. _

_I was so shocked; I quickly got dressed and ran out the door. _

"We were both drunk, and I didn't want to wait for your reaction, afraid I had done something to hurt you and then I'd never have a chance to you know, ask you out or anything." I sighed again as I placed my head in my hands waiting for her reaction.

"Edward, why didn't you tell me? You knew we had sex, so why didn't you come out and tell me? We would have worked something out. We could've been a family. My daughter, _our_ daughter could've had a father all these years, but instead you ran off like a scared little boy."

I sat there, staring at her while she yelled at me. I couldn't apologize, no, that would make it ten times worse.

"Are you going to say anything?" She whispered. I could tell by her voice she was minutes away from crying.

"Bella, no matter how many times I apologize, nothing is going to fix my mistakes. I ran out 5 years ago and there's no way I can go back through time and fix that. All I can ask is we go through this like responsible adults and work something out. Mackynzie is a remarkable little girl and I would love for her to get to know her father. It might take some time for forgive me. Hell, I know I wouldn't forgive me, but can you at least give me a chance?" I pleaded with her.

She looked at me intently, studying my words carefully. "Ask your daughter." Those three words told me she was going to give me a chance.

"Thank you Bella. You don't know how much this means to me." I smiled and for the first time in six years, it was a real smile.

"Don't thank me yet. What about your sons?" _Crap, I knew she would make a connection, but I didn't know it would be so soon. _

"Mackynzie told me she wanted them to be her brothers." I shrugged.

"I'm not saying we will get married tomorrow, but I want my daughter to have a real family. I'm only giving you _one_ chance. If you screw this up." She shook her head; she didn't need to finish that.

"Thank you, Bella."

She nodded, deep in thought. "You, actually thought I had beautiful eyes?" She giggled.

I nodded rubbing my neck. "You still do." I smiled.

I looked up at the clock to check the time; _5:30pm_. "Shit, we've been in here for 45 minutes!" Our faces showed the same expression as we quickly got up to leave but before she opened the door, she turned to face me.

"Edward, I really am thankful you came forward, even if it did take you 6 years. Your boys are adorable and I can't wait to let them meet Mackynzie." She quickly kissed my cheek then slipped through the door, closing it softly behind her. I stood there watching her leave, holding my cheek, and feeling like a nerdy teenager who just got kissed by the head cheerleader.

Maybe life won't be so bad after all.

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><p><strong>Hello again. I told you the father might be Edward! :) That was my plan from the beginning! <strong>

**Don't worry, I won't end the story in 6 or 7 chapter, because I promise, there is A LOT of drama ahead of these two yet! But I love HEA so there might be one of them. **

**Don't forget to review.**

**And those who review chapter 3/4 will get a preview of chapter 5! **

**Make me smile!**

**Only 4 days till Christmas! :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'M BACKKKKKK! I know I haven't written in forever, but I have 3 chapters wrote right now! So I'm at chapter 8 :) This chapter is 4,232 words long, and all three chapters have a combined total of 12,000+ words! EPPP! I'm so proud of myself, because I didn't think i knew that many words. **

**Anyways, here comes the excuses.  
>1) ChristmasChristmas break with family visiting and all that fun stuff.  
>2) University<br>3) My grandmother ended up in the hospital a week after new years.  
>4) I ended up in the hospital the following week due to my appendix, ironic huh? (Apparently my insides are perfectly fine though)<br>5) My grandmother passed away on Friday :'(  
>6) I've been catching up in work I missed since I haven't been to class in THREE WEEKS! I know, I'm horrible!<strong>

**So that's my excuses. Of course you may have heard them all before but take it or leave it. **

**A HUGE thanks to my wonderful beta, mommyof3boys. I sent her my chapter and every hour of every day I was constantly after her to see if she had it done. When she finally did, I was a very happy person. I read it over, only to realize that somewhere along the way of copying/pasting into different docs, a HUGE part of my chapter got deleted, so this would've been posted on Saturday, but I notice the mistake, and ended up writing about 4,000 more words. Imagine that? **

**ALSOOO, a HUGEE thnkas to Narcissa-Weasly and berb who has been with me and this story since the beginning! You guys will get a longer previews of chapter 5! Maybe even different ones from everyone else. We'll see ;) **

**Anyways, enough of my rambling. Here is my next chapter! I have everyone's name wrote down that reviewed and since I am posting this right now, 1:20 am Friday, February 3rd, 2012, I will sent the previews TOMORROW, February 4th, and those will go to EVERYONE who has reviewed since I posted it. **

**Another thing, I don't have a schedule of when I'm updating. I write whenever I feel like it, send it to my beta, she sends it back, I fix the mistakes and I post it. Don't really have a certain day. I'll talk to her about it though (she's probably reading this right now) and see if we can set a day where I will post a new chapter. At least it'll keep me more focused. **

**Enjoy the chapter! See you at the bottom. xo**

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><p><strong>Bella's POV<strong>

"NO! Absolutely not, forget it!" Rosalie and Alice, my two wonderful friends, just got a run-through of my day. When I told them that I was going to let Edward have a chance in Mackynzie's life, they freaked out.

"Makynzie is five years old and had to live without a daddy. Don't get me wrong, I love Charlie but I know what it's like only having one parent. I don't want my daughter to experience that her entire life. The fact that he is so close, yet she doesn't know about him simply breaks my heart." I crossed my arms as I sat on the couch in the TV room; it was empty, thankfully, so I dragged my two best friends there to tell them the news.

Ali and Rose shared a look I didn't understand, -and at this point I didn't really care- before looking back at me. I spoke again before either of them could say a word.

"She told Edward that she loved me but she wanted a Daddy because Liam has a mommy and a daddy." I looked at Rose before closing my eyes. It wasn't her fault we were forced to live with them, or that she had a child with my brother. It was the simple thought of knowing Makynzie could have a real family if I let her father into our lives.

He hurt me and I may never forgive him for what he did, but this isn't about our relationship, this is about my daughter getting to know her father. She has Emmett, Charlie and Henry as father figures, but she needs her own. What happens when it comes time for her to get married and she don't have a father to give her away.

I shook my head and wiped a stray tear as I looked back at my best friends.

"I don't want you to agree with my decision, I just need some support."

"Bella, we'll support you, this is your choice, not ours. But we don't want you getting hurt." Tears were streaming down our faces as we hugged each other tightly.

"Thank you." I whispered through my tears. I really did have the best friends.

After drying out faces we made our way back to my daughter's room. Sure, I was letting Edward get to know her, but he is going to have to tell her himself.

**Edward's POV**

-3 weeks before. The first day of school-

"Daddy!" Ethan yelled.

"Daddy!" Noah yelled two seconds later.

"Dadddddddyyy!" They yelled together. _And this is why I keep my bedroom door closed at night. _

I got up from the comfortable bed to go see what my little monsters were screaming about. When I opened the door they both fell flat on their backs. I tried not to laugh but the expressions on their faces when they saw me looking down at them were priceless.

"Yes boys?" I teased still looking down at them.

"Daddy, it's our first day of big boy school." Ethan told me.

"And we're gonna be late." Noah finished.

They looked so cute and innocent in their matching pyjamas as they smiled up at me.

I glanced back on the clock next to my bed and rubbed my face with my hands before looking back at the boys.

"Do you know what time is it?" I asked, trying not to laugh.

"Of course daddy." Ethan smiled.

"It's time for big boy school." Noah finished. _How do they do that?_

"No boys, its 5:30 in the morning. You still have another two hours until you have to leave for big boy school. You can go back to sleep again."

"But Dadddddyy." Noah whined and clumsily got to his feet. Ethan followed suit and waited for his brother to finish.

"If-we-go-back-to-our-room-the-monsters-will-get-us!" Noah gasped as he finished his sentence of completely mushed words.

"Noah, can you slow down please and say that again. Slower this time so I can understand you." I raised an eyebrow as I looked at him expectedly.

Her sighed loudly and placed his hands on his hips, "If we go back to our room the monsters will get us!" He said again, slower this time.

"Do you want me to get rid of the monsters?" I asked, trying my hardest not to laugh.

"Noah wants to know if we can sleep with you daddy. He's scared of the monsters." Ethan confessed.

Noah crossed his arms and frowned. His little frown quickly turned into a smile when I nodded my head and moved from the doorway to let them in my room.

As soon as they snuggled in bed with me, they instantly fell asleep. I watched them as they lay side by side, just imagining if their life would be any different if they had known their mom.

I wasn't always a single father of twins. I was in university when I met the girl of my dreams. We had so much in common; it was like we were related. We married six months after meeting and had a small wedding.

Elizabeth Clarke was her name and she looked beautiful with a round belly, holding my little babies in there. We had a great relationship together and we were ready to take on the responsibility of being parents when the awful night came, only two weeks before the due date of our children.

_Flashback –About 3 and half years ago-_

"_Edward do we have any pickles and ice cream?" Elizabeth asked as we sat on the couch watching a movie. My wife had been having weird cravings lately. She swears it's because the twins wants different things at the same time but I think she likes making me work. _

"_No honey, I don't think." I smiled at her, trying to cover my laughing with a cough. _

_She pouted, "Can we go get some, please baby. You're children needs ice cream and pickles before they kick themselves out of me!" She grabbed my hands and placed them on either side of her stomach where the babies were kicking widely. _

"_Let's go to the store. Do you want to come?" I usually don't let her go very far, especially being 8 months pregnant, but my sister Charlotte is gone on her honeymoon and my parents are 20 minutes away. _

"_Yes, I need to pick out the best ice cream. Ou, do you think they have triple chocolate? I want chocolate ice cream and pickles. Maybe some peanut butter too!" I shook my head as I helped her to her feet. _

"_Come on honey, we can get anything you and the babies want!" I said as I helped her out the door and into the car. _

_Since the store was only five minutes away, we made it there in no time and we got a parking space close to the door. After 30 minutes, we had grocery bags full of four different kinds of ice cream, two kinds of peanut butter, and three jars of pickles. _

_The short time we were in the store, it had started to rain so I quickly kissed my wife and ran to the car with the shopping bags. When I got in the car I drove to the door to get my wife, jumping out to help her in the car. _

_The drive home took longer than expected since the roads were wet and the sky was near black. We were mere feet from out driveway when headlights came towards us at an increasingly fast speed. It only took two seconds to hydroplane, two seconds to lose control, two seconds to hit us head on, and two seconds to hear my wife scream out in pain as the car collided with us. I looked over to see my wife pinned against the seat with her hands wrapped protectively around her swollen belly._

_When I saw Elizabeth's forehead bleeding, I panicked and tried to force the car door open which wouldn't budge; it didn't help that my legs were trapped underneath the wheel. Then I slowly moved my hands to my coat pocket to retrieve my phone. My fingers landed on the cold metal and I almost jumped for joy. _

_I called '911' and reported the accident. _

_They responded in minutes. _

_We were rushed to the hospital. _

_After a quick check-up I was diagnosed with a few cuts and bruises and rushed out of the room to find on my wife. _

_The doctor met me in the hallway. He had a frown on his face and quietly put his hand on my arm. I never had time for this; I have to find my wife!_

"_Mr. Cullen I need to speak to you about your wife." I nodded and slid down to wall resting my head on my knees. _

"_Mr. Cullen, as you know you're wife is 9 months pregnant. The impact of the car forced her to go into early labour. Her due date is not for another 3 weeks, and taking the babies out now could be risky. But your wife is not going to last 3 weeks."_

_He sighed before starting again. "Mr. Cullen, we have three options. We can keep the babies inside of your wife until she delivers but she is very weak right now. Your second option is an emergency c-section. This is a very risky move because your wife may not make it. The third option is a c-section and then place your wife on life support. Right now she is in a sleep induced coma because she was in a lot of pain and her left leg and right arm is broken. This makes the choice yours."_

_My wife was on life support for three weeks. She got to see her children and her smile lit the whole room. The day she woke was the same day she told me she couldn't take the pain anymore. That her body felt like it was on fire and to take care of our children, just know she will always be here with us. _

_I kissed her one last time before her heart stopped forever. When the nurses rushed in they found us holding hands, with tears running down my face and whispering, "I love you." _

_-End of flashback-_

_Beep, beep, beep._

I quickly reached over and shut off my alarm then turn to my boys.

"Noah, Ethan, time to get up for school." I said as I lightly shook them.

Noah's eyes popped open but Ethan just rolled over with a groan. I laughed at that.

"Five minutes boys," I called as I walked through the bedroom door and towards the kitchen.

I knew the smell of breakfast would wake them, so I proceeded to make chocolate pancakes and hot chocolate. I usually don't let them have chocolate at 7 in the morning but this was a special occasion, so I made an exception for today.

As soon as the pancakes hit the table I heard four tiny feet running down the stairs.

They ate their breakfast and were in the car in no time.

I kissed both their heads when I got to the daycare. I never had time to go to the Parent's meeting, but I'm sure the boys will be fine. This is the best daycare around!

While the boys attended daycare I worked at the hospital. About 2 weeks before they started I knew I had to hire a babysitter for the evening times when I'm not around to pick the boys up, or be with them after school.

I asked around my family first, being sure to contact all cousins and distant cousins I knew about before posting an ad online.

Luckily for me, my dad was talking to his sister-in-law and just happened to mention I was going back to work and needed a babysitter with Charlotte and Peter leaving for their honeymoon the day the boys started school. My cousin, Tanya Denali, offered to babysit my children, but I wanted to give her a test run with them just to be safe and to make sure the kids actually liked her before I trusted her to watch them after school.

_Flashback_

"_No! I was here first! It's my seat." Ethan yelled from the living room._

"_NO! GET UP!" Ethan voice became louder with each word._

"_NO-" Noah stopped short when he saw me standing in the doorway with my arms crossed._

"_Boys, is there a problem here?"_

_Ethan swung around and stared at me with the same expression as his brother._

"_No daddy." Noah and Ethan said at the same time._

"_I heard screaming from the kitchen. It didn't sound like nothing. Someone tell me what's going on." I stared at them both as they shared a look._

_Noah jumped out of his seat and went to sit in the green bean-bag chair while Ethan took a seat in the blue one._

"_Sorry daddy." They said in unison._

_Noah turned to his brother, "I'm sorry Ethy, I took you seat when you got up."_

_Ethan looked back at him, "I'm sorry Noah, it wasn't nice for me to scream."_

_I smiled as I watch them make-up. Sure they fight some times, but they love each other and the fights don't last longer than ten minutes. 'Boys will be boys.'_

_I was about to speak when I heard the front door open, "Where are my two favorite boys?" Noah and Ethan raced passed me at the sound of their aunt's voice._

"_Aunt Lolly! Uncle Pebbles!" They yelled when they saw her and Peter by the door._

_Dinner passed quickly and once everything was tidied up, the three adults joined the kids on the couch for some Saturday cartoons._

_It was only 10 minutes later that I heard a knock on the door. I quickly got up to answer it and then remembered that Tanya was coming to meet the boys._

_He smiled when he opened the door and saw Tanya on the other side. He quickly led her into the house and to the living room where the boys were watching cartoons with their aunt and uncle._

"_Noah, Ethan, remember when we talked about how daddy will be busy some days after daycare and Nana and Poppy won't always be around to pick you up." They nodded and continued to stare at Tanya._

"_Well, this is Miss Tanya. She is going to be your babysitter for the next few months and I wanted you to meet her before you start school next week." The boys didn't move as Tanya walked towards them and offered her hand. Noah screwed his face up as he stared at her hand and Ethan stared at me with a frown. 'This is not how I planned the day. Shit!'_

"_Boys!" I said softly but with a tone in my voice._

_Noah ignored Tanya and crawled to his uncle's lap to continue watching cartoons while Ethan did the same to his aunt. I sighed loudly letting them know that was not a good choice._

_Tanya straightened up and walked back over to me._

"_It's okay Edward they obviously are shy." She smiled at me._

_For the next hour Tanya tried her hardest to interact with the boys but Noah and Ethan wasn't having it. Finally an idea came to me._

"_Tanya, how about you take the boys out for some ice cream and then to the playground while I go shopping for their birthday presents." She agreed it would be a great way to get to know the boys better and gladly took their hands when we got to the park. Noah and Ethan were sad to see me walking the opposite way but they would never turn down ice cream._

_-Third POV-_

_Noah looked at his brother behind their babysitters back as they walked. It was cool that they almost knew what each other was thinking. They both nodded as they formed a plan to escape and get the babysitter in a lot of trouble._

_Aunt Lolly and Uncle Pebble had left about a half hour before their dad came up with a horrible plan to help them 'get to know their babysitter better'. She was so scary! They didn't want her to babysit them._

_When they got to the ice cream shop Tanya looked down at the twins._

"_Now, your dad said you can have one scoop of ice cream each, so choose whichever kind you want and then we can go to the park!" She tried to sound excited but the boys could tell that she hated the plan as much as they did._

_They calmly looked at all the different flavours of ice cream before Noah turned to Tanya with a smile._

"_Daddy lets us have two scoops of ice cream because we are big boys." Noah added the famous 'Cullen-smirk' at the end._

"_I can't choose just one. I want this one and that one. Daddy lets me have two scoops 'cause I can't eat one kind. I will get sick if I only have one!" Ethan explained._

"_Boys, your dad said one scoop so you're getting one scoop!" Tanya tried to explain to them the rules as calmly as she possibly could without showing anger._

_Noah and Ethan pouted and crossed their arms as they willed the tears to form in their eyes. They would get their way one way or the other and that way their babysitter will get in big trouble._

_When Tanya saw the boys about to cry she gave in. "Alright! But don't tell your father!"_

_They smirked as they chose their ice cream. They happily walked out of the store with a sour Tanya trailing behind talking on her phone._

_Tanya made sure to keep an eye on them once they got to the playground. The last thing she needed was to lose the boys and face an angry Edward. Besides, she was hoping this would help a relationship grow between them._

_She talked on the phone to her best friend Marie the entire time at the playground. She complained about babysitting 'the little brats' just as Noah was walking up behind her. He had to potty and was always told to never go alone. When he overheard her saying how much she hated him and Ethan he quietly backed away and ran to found Ethan._

"_E I don't like the new babysitter." Noah looked at his twin brother. Ethan could tell when he was joking around and when he was dead serious._

"_Why Noah? I thought we were pretending so we could get her in trouble."_

_Noah shook his head and wiped his eyes. "She said she hated us and called us brats." Ethan wrapped his arms around his brother._

"_Don't cry Noah, let's go find daddy." They both nodded and quickly ran out of the park and down the street to where their dad was going shopping to._

_They knew it was wrong to run out of the park alone but Tanya was mean and made Noah cry. Ethan was the other brother and had to protect his little brother from the mean babysitter._

_When they got to 'Toys R Us' they watched in surprise as the doors opened for them and they quickly walked inside. They looked up, down and side to side at all the toys! They were in heaven. One side of them wanted to look at all the toys, while the other needed to find their daddy._

_Edward walked to the check-out with two 'Cars' race tracks. They were different but still very similar. Since he had twin boys, he made sure he bought two of everything!_

_He was so busy paying for the items that he didn't see two little boys walk through the door, nor did the boys see him. Once the items were paid for he quickly walked out the door, threw the items in the car and ran towards the park. He couldn't wait to see his boys!_

_When he got to the park he was surprised to find Tanya sitting alone on a bench talking on her cell phone. She quickly disconnected the call when she saw Edward staring at her._

"_Edward! Your boys were perfect angels and they warmed up to me. This was a great idea!" She smiled at him but he ignored her as he searched the playground for the twins. He panicked when he couldn't find them._

"_Tanya where are my children?" He asked calmly._

_Tanya quickly looked around the park and over by the playground. They were here somewhere!_

"_They are busy playing Edward, why don't we sit down and catch up. I haven't seen you in years!" She placed her hand on his arm which he admittedly shook off._

"_Tanya, where are my children?" He asked again with anger in his voice._

_When she looked around nervously but didn't answer him he quickly ran towards the jungle gym._

"_Ethan! Noah!" He called as he frantically searched the tunnels and slides. A little girl looked towards him with a smile on her face as she flew down the slide._

"_Who's Ethan and Noah?" the little girl asked as she looked around._

"_They are my sons. Have you met them?" She shook her head. "Can you help me look for them?" She nodded and climbed up the ladder._

_Ten minutes later she returned with a frown. "They are not here. Sorry."_

_Edward nervously ran a hand through his hair. Tanya lost his children. He was going to kill her when he got his hands on her! He quickly walked back to where Tanya was sitting, texting away on her cell phone with not a care in the world._

"_Tanya, Noah and Ethan are not on the playground. You were supposed to watch them! They are 4 years old. Four! I have to find them." He began searching frantically around the park and eventually walked down the street. 'Maybe they went looking for me. They knew where I was going to. Or maybe they went to find a bathroom. But they know it's dangerous to leave the park alone.'_

_So many thought were running though his head as he entered 'Toys R Us' for the second time that day. He walked straight to customer service._

"_Hello sir, how may I help you?" The man behind the cash asked him with a smile._

"_Can you page my boys? They are only four and they left the park without letting their babysitter know. Tell them to go to the magic doors because Daddy is waiting for them. Please."_

_The man gave him a strange look as he picked up the phone and pressed a button._

"_Attention Customers. If Noah and Ethan Cullen are in the building could they please go to the 'magic doors' because their daddy is waiting for them. That's Noah and Ethan Cullen. Thank you." Before the man could finish his sentence Edward hightailed to the main entrance quickly pacing back and forth in case he missed his boys._

_Noah and Ethan listen to the man speak and then ran towards the 'magic doors' as they had called the automatic doors the first time they saw them._

_Their smiled grew wide as they saw their daddy walking back and forth. He looked so silly but they were so happy to see him!_

_Edward heard to familiar voices shout "Daddy!" and turned just in time to sweep the boys into his arms, covering them with kisses._

_Noah and Ethan squealed and giggled in his arms as he lifted them both._

"_Daddy was so worried! Why did you run out of the park?"_

"_Tanya called us brats Daddy." Noah frowned as he tried not to cry._

"_And she said she hated us." Ethan continued._

"_Well you won't have to worry about her anymore! I promise!" the Cullens walked back to the park where Tanya was still sitting on a bench. When she saw them walking towards the park she quickly jumped up._

"_Oh Edward you found the little cuties. I was so worried!" Tanya sighed in relief as they got closer and was about to reach out and hug them when Edward stopped abruptly and put the boys on the grass next to him. The three of them crossed their arms and glared at Tanya. It must have looked comical because Tanya burst into laughter._

_When she saw the three of them still didn't crack a smile she stopped._

"_What? You found the kids and they're fine. What's the matter?"_

"_Tanya, you let my kids leave the park by themselves while you were on your phone." Edward hissed trying his best to stay calm._

"_And you called us brats." Noah added._

"_And you said you hated us!" Ethan said quickly._

"_What? I did no such thing! They ran out of the park without telling me Edward! It's not my fault; I swear I thought they were on the playground!" Tanya tried to defend herself._

"_We are going back to the house and then you will get your belongings and leave. I don't need your services any longer. I will find a new and trusted babysitter to look after my kids. Let's go boys."_

_Noah and Ethan quickly followed their dad before Tanya could argue. They quickly high-fived behind their dads back because their plan had worked better than they thought. _

_End of Flashback_

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><p><strong>Readers thoughts: "AHHH! What a horrible wa to end a chapter?" or "WHAT? *Refresh page* *Scrolls down* AHHH!" <strong>

**Right? **

**I know, I know, I'm evil. **

**BUT, if my lovely readers can give me 75 reviews (only 20) by Saturday Feb. 4th, then I will post the next chapter! And chapter 5, 6, and 7, is a continuation spilt in three chapters because it was soooo long to be one! **

**20 reviews by Feb. 4th and chapter 6 will be posted Feb. 5th! PROMISE!**

**Maddie xo**

**P.S REVIEWWWW! :) please xo?**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Yay, chapter 6 is up already! I don't have 20 reviews AND it's still not Sunday, but my lovely beta, mommyof3boys, edit both chapter in just a few hours and since I only had a few mistakes I was able to post early! Everyone received their preview so I hope you got a chance to read that first! **

**Without further ado; Chapter 6 of Forgotten Memories :)**

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><p><strong>Edward's POV<strong>

The day at the hospital was long and when I got a call from the boy's daycare teacher I panicked too quickly. When she assured me that the boys were fine, I quickly called my dad and he told me he was on his way to pick them up.

I left early that day because I was celebrating the big day with my boys. I promised them that tonight we were going out with Nana and Poppy for dinner at a fancy restaurant as long as they promised to be good boys in school.

I cursed on myself for trusting Tanya, the new babysitter, with the boys. Even though I fired her, I had no other choice but to contact her to pick the boys up from daycare and drop them off at my parent's house. I should've known better than to trust my boys with anyone besides my parents or my sister.

Ethan and Noah told me all about their day on the way to the restaurant and couldn't wait to go back tomorrow. I smiled at my boys as they sat like perfect gentlemen once we got to the restaurant.

My mom was smiling from ear to ear at her 'babies'. They screwed up their faces to that and argued they were big boys now, not babies.

Dinner went perfect and the boys were fast asleep by the time we got back to the house.

I tucked them in their beds, kissed their heads, and turned on the night-light. As I shut the door, I head Noah whisper, "I love you daddy."

"I love you too buddy." I smiled and returned to the living room. No matter how much I focused on the television, I couldn't get her voice out of my head; _Isabella Swan, you will be the death of me. _

By 8pm her voice was driving me insane. So I quickly got out my phone and called the one person I haven't spoken to in years; Emmett Swan.

He picked up on the third ring.

"_Hello?"_

"Hello, is this Emmett Swan?"

"_Yes. Is this who I think is it? Edward Cullen, is that you?"_

I laughed, "Yes Emmett, it's me. How have you been?"

"_I'm great man. How are you?"_

"Fine." I cleared my throat.

"_Dude, what's wrong? I know you better than you know yourself."_

"Nothing is wrong Emmett. I just miss the old times you know. When life was simple and we were teenagers." I said, hoping he would catch on.

"_Yeah I missed the band. I sorry we had to end it like we did. Bella got pregnant and since the father didn't speak up I had to do something. I still want to kill the bastard that hurt her."_

"She got pregnant? Really, when?"

"_Remember that night of the concert in Forks? Alice forced her to go to the hospital a week later and they told her she was pregnant." _

"Wow that must've been tough. How are she and the baby now?"

"_Mac is the cutest little girl ever. She's adorable and absolutely adores Liam."_

"Who's Liam?"

"_Oh, he's my little man. Only one year old but I can tell he's going to love music like his daddy." _he laughed.

That's when I heard crying in the background and Emmett's name being called out.

"_Sorry to cut the conversation short, but I have to go see what's wrong with Liam and Rose. Don't be a stranger." _

"Same for you. See-yah."

"_Bye."_

He hung up the phone while I sat there in shock. I'm sure I looked like an idiot with the phone pressed against my cheek. But Bella got pregnant 6 years ago around the same time Emmett quit the band and we fell apart. Something's isn't right, but I'm going to find out what it is.

**-Present Day. Makynzie has been in the hospital for 9 days. Edward and Bella's talk was the day before-**

I laughed as I watched Noah and Ethan walk slowly down the stairs with their eyes half open. After the first week of daycare, it took me forever to get the boys out of bed.

I bribed them today with chocolate chip pancakes and Ethan jumped out of the bed with his eyes still closed; Noah just snored lightly.

Eventually I dropped them off to daycare and took off to the hospital.

After 2 surgeries and 3 broken bones I was ready to call it a day. I only had 30 minutes left of my shift anyways so I quickly packed my things and began my last round for the day.

A little boy had his tonsils out and was eating a Popsicle when I knocked on his door. He gave me a smile with purple lips and when I asked him how he was feeling, he just pointed to his mouth and shook his head.

I laughed, "That's good to hear Max."

I turned to his parents, "There's more popsicles in the freezer in the nurses' lounge if he wants another one. Just go to the main desk and ask them to get one for you. If they give you any trouble just tell them to locate his file. I'll make sure to write it on there before I leave for the day."

His parents nodded and thanked me for dropping in. I said my good-bye's and left to check on the rest of my patients; leaving Makynzie for last again.

When I got to Makynzie's room, I was surprised to find it empty but when I heard her voice coming from the bathroom I decided to straighten up the mess of machines until she came out.

After talking with Bella last night I didn't want to face her again. She said she would give me a chance but I knew there was something else as to why she trusted me. All the while we were talking she kept looking at me a certain way, almost as if she knew something I didn't.

", just the person I needed to see." I turned to face Bella and my smile faded when I saw her distressed face.

"Makynzie has been sick all day. Is there anything you can give her for her stomach? She can't keep her food down."

"Of course just let me have a look at her and I'll give her something in her IV drip."

Bella nodded and returned to the private bathroom. Minutes later she emerged with Emmett and a pale-faced Makynzie in his arms. He gently placed her on the bed before hugging his sister and returning to the bathroom.

"Hi Makynzie. Mommy said you have a bad tummy, can you show me where it hurts?"

She nodded and weakly pointed to when her scar will eventually develop.

"Can I see where it hurts?" Even though I'm a doctor, I don't touch my patients without permission first. I carefully lifted her Pajama top and inspected the cut. It didn't look infected so I don't understand why it would be causing her to have an upset stomach. I carefully returned her shirt before looking at the IV description.

Since she was such a little girl, the IV drip had to be monitored at all times. I called the nurse to get her something to help her feel better. If her body was rejecting food and liquid, then it would definitely reject medicine so right now, IV drips were the only option.

"This will make her sleepy but make sure she doesn't fight it. I know she can't hold anything down but she must stay hydrated. The IV can only do so much so make sure she drinks something. Orange juice is usually the best option but water works well also." Bella nodded as she rubbed her –_our_- daughter's stomach.

"My shift is over in five minutes but if she is still sick by 12 midnight please get one of the nurses to contact me. It looks like the stomach flu since we are in the hospital, but it could be something more."

Bella nodded and thanked me, never once giving me eye contact.

Emmett walked out of the bathroom with a small garbage bucket in his hands. He nodded his head when he saw me.

I said my good-byes to them both after checking on Makynzie once more before heading home to my boys.

My mother was watching the boys since I had an evening shift today but they were out to the car to greet me as soon as I pulled in front of the house.

I grabbed them both into my arms as I walked in the house to a wonderful smell. I set my boys down, except Ethan who wouldn't let go of my neck then made my way to the kitchen.

I kissed my mother on the cheek. "It smells wonderful, what is it?"

She laughed and smacked my hand with the wooded spoon she was holding as I tried to get a taste. "It's turkey soup one of my co-workers made for us. She had an early thanksgiving because her son is heading off to the other side of the world on a work-term. He won't be able to return home during thanksgiving since he will be so far away and working most if the time. She had lots of turkey left over and made some soup for each of her co-workers."

"Well it smells delicious so I will have to thank her the next time I see her!" I walked into the living room with Ethan still attached to me.

When I found my father and Noah watching cartoons I sat us on the couch to join them.

Ethan didn't move his head, even when we burst out laughing at the funny animals. That's when I knew something was wrong. Not wanting to upset Noah also, I quickly moved down the hallway to the rec room and sat him down on the couch. He had tears running down his little face and it broke my heart to see him like this.

"Hey buddy, what's wrong? Why are you so upset?"

He looked up at me with tear-filled eyes, "I don't like school daddy." He cried.

"Why not Ethan? I thought you loved big boy school."

He shook his head, "I don't like Miss Laura, she's mean to me and Noah, daddy! I want Miss Bella back!"

"It's okay buddy. Daddy will go to school with you tomorrow to speak to Miss Laura and if you still want to leave by Friday then I can find you a new daycare, okay?" Sure it will cost me a lot of money to remove them from the current daycare and place them in a new one, but I want my boys to be happy and they obviously don't like the new teacher.

I eventually got Ethan to stop crying and we joined my parents and Noah at the dinner table. When they tasted the soup, all the troubles about daycare and the new teacher was forgotten.

After they ate, I got them ready to leave. They kissed Poppy and Nana 'good-bye' and we were in the car and headed home.

It only took about 40 minutes to get to the house, but the activities at their grandparent's house had them tired out so I ended up carrying them both to bed after getting them into their Pjs.

Ethan gripped my right hand and Noah gripped my left hand -not as tight as his brother- as we walked into the daycare. I was speaking to 'Miss Laura' and finding out why she treats my kids so harshly.

When they got in the classroom they took off their coats and bags and hung them in their locker before taking off to get a toy. I walked towards a blonde woman who was sitting at a desk in the corner of the room.

She had her head buried in a magazine and jumped when I cleared my throat. As she removed the magazine from her face she was surprised to see me staring down at her. We came a half hour early to avoid getting the other children involved and their parents.

My blood boiled when I recognized exactly who 'Miss Laura' was. Lauren Mallory, my ex-girlfriend from high school stared back at me in shock before grinning widely and standing up.

"Well if it isn't Edward Cullen, what do you want? I have a daycare to run and I don't need any drama from you right now."

"Miss Mallory, I enrolled my boys in this daycare because I was told it was one of the top daycares around. When I come home from a long stressful day at work I expect my kids to brighten up my day. Last night I came home to one of them crying on my shoulder telling me he didn't want to return to daycare. If you think I won't take any action, like getting the other parents involver or placing a fine against you then you better start talking right now."

"Edward-"

"."

"Of course, Mr. Cullen-" just as she was about to give me a horrible excuse as to why my child was upset the director of the daycare entered the room.

"Lauren is there a problem here?" She asked, looking between the two of us then to my kids who were playing quietly in the corner.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, there _is _a problem." I proceeded to tell her about last night and waited for her response.

"I'm sorry for you troubles Mr. Cullen. They will be addressed admittedly, as for you Lauren you have till 7 pm to pack your belongings and leave the daycare. Your next paycheck will be in the mail within the next three days. Miss Swan is returning on Monday so we have no need for your services any longer." Lauren huffed and crossed her arms but didn't speak.

The director turned to face me again, "I'm sorry again for your troubles Mr. Cullen and to apologize, the daycare will pay for your children's enrollment for an entire year." I was shocked but thanked her anyways.

After kissing my children once more I left the daycare to head to work with a smile on my face.

- Present Day -

I let out a long sigh as I fell in the chair in my office. It had been a long day of runny noses, cuts, bruises, scrapes and surgeries. I couldn't wait for 5 pm when I finished my shift for the night.

Yesterday was the most amazing and horrifying day of my life. The amazing part was finding out I had a daughter, the horrifying part; I missed five years of her life and abandoned her and her mother before she was even known to the world. It felt great to be a father to a beautiful little girl and to tell my boys they have a sister but the thought of coming into her life unannounced; that's what scared me the most. What if she doesn't want me in her life? She is only five and big enough to make her own decisions as to whether I can be her dad.

I knock on my office door brought me back to reality.

"Come in." I was shocked to see the person on the other side of the door. "Dad, why are you here?"

He chuckled as he closed the door. "What, I can't visit my own son in his office?"

I stared at him until he cracked.

"Okay, okay. Your mother and I are planning a family dinner and have decided we want our entire family home for Thanksgiving."

"So, what does that have to do with me? Of course we are going to be there."

"When I say 'our entire family' I mean Alice and Jasper too."

"Invite them. They are just as much family as Charlotte and Peter."

"That's why I came to speak with you. I want you to ask your sister."

"NO! No, I'm not doing it. Forget it!"

"You see her every day Edward."

"I don't care, you're her father."

"Fine, I guess I'll have to get your mother to do it."

"Dad! Really, you are pinning this on mom now?"

He sighed and stood up. "Alright, I'll do it but you're asking them to Christmas dinner!" He was out of the office before I could respond.

I walked out of my office to do my nightly rounds. When I got to Mackynzie's room there were lots of voices inside. I knocked quietly on the door and opened it when I heard a "Come in."

I saw Bella, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, their baby Liam and Charlie all standing around Mackynzie's bed.

"Is everything okay in here?" I was surprised to see so many people gathered around her bed. Visiting hours were over 3 hours ago!

Bella turned around, "Yes, I hope you don't mind, but we were having a small family gathering since it is Thanksgiving in a few days. Most of my family are going to be away so we wanted to do something special for Mackynzie."

I nodded, "That's no problem. I have to ask you all to move out of the room for a few minutes while I check her over. The café downstairs is still open." Bella nodded her head towards the door and they all filed out except Alice. We shared a look before Bella spoke again.

"Do you mind if Alice stays, she's been my rock through all this?" I nodded and move towards Mackynzie.

"Hi Miss Makynzie, how are you felling?" She giggled.

"I'm feeling good! I don't have a bad tummy anymore." Her smile faded. "Can I go home soon?"

"That's what I came to tell you. You have healed well and by tomorrow if everything looks okay, you should be ready to go home."

"YAY!" Mackynzie squealed. "Momma did you hear that? I can go home."

Bella rushed to her side and they quickly were tangled in each other arms. I looked away to give them a private moment.

Alice caught my eye and mouthed 'Thank you'. I nodded before turning back to the Swan family.

I cleared my throat and they broke apart. "Make sure you get a good night's rest, Mackynzie because I'll be back in first thing tomorrow morning to re-check everything." I looked towards Bella, "After I confirm everything you can sign the discharge papers, okay?"

She nodded and I said good-bye. As I walked out of the room I could hear soft footsteps following me. I didn't stop until I reached my office where I opened the door but never bothered to close it.

* * *

><p><strong>So, let me know what you think! Chapter 8 we are back to the present, these three chapter are basically filler to know what's going on up to this point in their lives. <strong>

**Be sure to leave me a review. It makes me smile :)**

**Maddison xo**

**P.S Review and you will get a preview of chapter 7 :D:D:D**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, all rights belong to SM. Except Makynzie, Liam, Ethan and Noah, they are my own characters :)**

**I'm sorry I haven't updated since last Saturday, but I had Winter Carnival all week! We got first in Musical Talent, Forth in Non-Musical Talent, Third in Chess, and Third in Trivia! We placed in a bunch of more things but I can't remember what they are, anyways... here is the chapter you have all been waiting for. I swear the plot thickens around here. Now we get to the fun part! I actually have chapter 8 wrote! :D I just need to get is Beta'd and you'll have it shortly. **

**Big shout out to Narcissa-Weasly who gave me my 75th review! That was another reason why I didn't update for a week, I've been waiting for the magic number; 75! **

**I'll post the next chapter at 90 reviews! That can't be to hard to do considering I have over 1,000 readers in ONE day! I know you can do it :) **

**Big thanks to my beta, mommyof3boys also, for being amazing and beta-ing very quickly! **

**Hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I'll see you at the bottom! **

**xo**

* * *

><p>"Edward, dad called me last night and told me to come to Thanksgiving dinner. He never asked, he <em>told<em> me. What's going on? Why do they want a big 'family reunion' now?" My sister demanded as she closed my office door, flicking the lock on it.

"I don't know Alice. Dad came in here the other day and told me I had to invite you. We argued because I knew I would never be able to demand you to come to their house. After some time he agreed to call you for thanksgiving, but I have to invite you to Christmas."

"He kicked me out Edward; I'm not going back there again!"

"He was drunk Alice, you know he didn't mean anything he said!"

"I don't care; the point is he should never have to think those words. If my real parents knew what their 'friends' were like did you really think they would grant them custody?"

_Flashback_

_**Edward, 20, Charlotte and Alice, 19. (They are attending college/university and since its close by, it make sense for them to live with their parents.) **_

"_Kids, come downstairs please!" Carlisle called from the bottom of the steps. _

_Alice and Charlotte quickly moved out of Alice's room –where they were doing each other's nails and hair- and walked down the steps. Edward ignored his father and continued listening to his music, turning the volume up a little more. _

"_Yeah Dad?" Charlotte asked as they reached the bottom step. _

"_Where's your brother?" Both girls shrugged as they waited to hear what was so important. "I'm not saying a word until he comes down." _

_Alice sighed before turning and walking back up the stairs to get her brother. _

_Edward jumped and quickly faced the door as Alice walked in without knocking. _

"_Christ Alice! Didn't you ever hear of knocking?" He yelled at his younger sister. _

"_Dad wants you to come downstairs. He has something to tell us." _

"_Cool, tell me about it later?" He asked before turning over in his bed to face the wall. _

"_Edward, get up!" Alice shrieked as she jumped on the bed before landing on top of him resulting in a loud "Umph" from Edward. _

"_Okay, jeez, I'll get up. Not like it's anything important anyways." _

_Alice kissed his cheek before she jumped off the bed and skipped out of the room as if nothing had happened. _

"_Stupid little hyper pixie." He muttered as he slowly walked down the stairs towards the den where his family was waiting. _

"_Ah, Edward. Thank you for joining us after 20 lovely minutes of waiting." He glared at his father as he slumped on the couch next to Alice. _

"_Now that everyone is here, we can start. This Friday is the annual charity gala hosted by the Hospital in Forks. Each year five people are picked to organize it, I was one of the lucky five this year. I only just got the details today, but your mother has known about it for weeks. As I was saying, this is a huge event and everyone who has an invitation is asked to bring along a guest. You don't have to, but when your father is one of the people hosting it, it would look nice. Instead of picking your dates like most fathers, I will trust you enough to pick them yourselves."_

"_So get a date by Friday? That won't be a problem, can I leave now?" Edward whined as he crossed his arms in annoyance. _

_Esme shook her head, "Edward listen to what your father has to say please." _

"_As I was saying, you each need a date and attend the whole gala. Starting with the opening speeches and ending with the final dance; the entire thing!" _

_Alice was about to speak when her mother cut her off, "Yes Alice, we all need fancy clothes and you may go shopping, only if you take your brother and sister with you and agree to a strict limit." Alice smiled at the word 'shopping' but quickly pouted at the words 'strict limit'. In other words, her siblings were coming to make sure she didn't break the bank._

_Alice and Charlotte quickly made plans to go shopping the next day, since neither of them were started university yet, it was easy to make plans without a busy schedule. _

_As they entered the twentieth and final store that day, Alice felt the memories flooding back of that horrible evening just over a year ago. _

_-Alice's Flashback (in __**bold/italics) **_

"_**Mom, one more store pleaseeee?" Alice whined to her parents as they struggled to get her to leave the mall. **_

"_**Mary Alice, you will leave this mall right now or I will drag you out kicking and screaming!" Her mother hissed at her as quietly as she could without getting too much attention from passing customers. **_

_**Alice huffed but followed her parents to the bank where her mother was going to put a hold on her bank account. She went out one of her famous 'Alice Shopping Sprees' and maxed out her credit card for the third time in a month! Her parents were livid when they got a letter from the bank and told their daughter after the Christmas shopping is done, her cards are getting a temporary hold until she can manage her money better. **_

_**No matter how much she begged and pleaded, they wouldn't give in to her. **_

_**There were about five people in the line-up and Alice told her parents she needed to use the washroom; honestly she just needed some time to herself. Just as she was about to exit the bank a shrilling alarm sounded through the mall and a voice came on the intercom, "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, the mall is now closing due to unexpected reasons. Please exit the mall in an orderly fashion and have a nice evening." **_

_**Alice turned towards her parents and was about to speak when she felt someone behind her. **_

"_**Don't say a word and you might live to see tomorrow." The voice hissed in her ear. **_

_**Alice was too scared to speak and simply nodded as the person pushed her towards the other startled customers in the bank. **_

"_**Hello everyone, this is in fact a bank robbery. Please give up you cell phone and wallets, if you cooperate then we won't have a problem." **_

_**Alice had just stuffed her phone in her bra –she was wearing a skirt with no pockets and it's a handy place to put it- so when the man asked her for a cell phone, she said she didn't have one and looked at her parents. **_

_**By the time they had collected the items; two more people had shown up. All four of them were wearing black pants and jackets with black gloves, face mask and shoes to match. **_

_**The one that had grabbed Alice stayed close to the prisoners. There were 14 in total; 8 were customers, five worked as tellers and the last one was the manager. **_

"_**L, go get the money out of the vault! We only have six minutes until they come." The leader of the group demanded. 'L' nodded and walked down a hallway before disappearing in a room. **_

"_**R, V, is all the exits secured?" 'R' and 'V' nodded before watching the hostages again. **_

"_**Excellent," the leader smiled before walking towards the group of people huddled in the corner. "Here is how this thing is going to work. Each of you is going to sit there like good little hostages until we get our money. If the police ask you any questions, you say you don't remember anything. They will believe it as shock and nothing will happen, understand?"**_

_**Everyone nodded slowly, everyone except Mr. Brandon –Alice's dad. **_

"_**Now listen here young man, if I get question by the police I'm going to tell them everything I have seen and heard from the moment you walked into this bank!" He was a lawyer and definitely not a 'pushover'.**_

"_**No, you listen old man, sit down and shut up or I'll make you!" The leader hissed walking closer to him. Mr. Brandon didn't move, he didn't blink and he certainly didn't back down.**_

"_**Daddy please, don't do this." Alice whimpered as the leader stepped closer and closer to her father. **_

_**At the sound of her whimper the leader turned towards the scared young girl, "Yeah 'daddy', listen to your precious daughter, or would you like an example of what will happen if you disobey again?" The leader smirked as he gripped Alice's hair through his fingers and pulled her in a standing position in front of him. The tears started to flow freely as he wrapped an arm around her tiny waist, pulling them together; her back to his chest. **_

"_**Leave my daughter alone." Mr. Brandon said in a deathly calm voice as he watched the scene play out. His wife grabbed his arm in a desperate attempt to get him to sit back down but he ignored her. **_

"_**Alice.." she started, staring at her frightened daughter. **_

"_**What a loving little family you have here, you all seem to have a hearing problem; a perfect match!" The leader smiled as he rested his head on Alice's shoulder. **_

_**Mr. Brandon had enough and was determined to stop this immediately. He shook his wife's arm off with a loving smile before charging at the guard –'R'- who seemed to be the easiest to take down first. **_

_**At that moment a few things happened at once; Mr. Brandon ran towards the smallest built guard, the leader yelled for 'Victoria' to get 'Laurent', Alice screamed and a loud gunshot echoed the room followed by a loud THUMP. **_

"_**NOO!" Alice and her mother screamed as they watched the man they both love fall to the ground clutching his chest. **_

_**Mrs. Brandon ran around the guard, Victoria and fell to her husband's side. Alice screamed and thrashed in the leaders grip but it did her no good, she couldn't get free. **_

"_**James, what have you done?" Victoria screamed at her boss and boyfriend. **_

_**At that moment, 'L' or 'Laurent' ran out of the room with two large duffle bags and a smile on his face. He frowned when he saw the scene before him. **_

"_**What's going on, guys? This wasn't part of the plan!" He asked quietly, when no one spoke he repeated it louder. **_

"_**Calm down Laurent, no one will know about this little stunt, trust me." Laurent snarled but backed down with a glare from his boss. **_

"_**Riley, you okay?" James asked his younger brother as he watched the woman quietly speak to her husband that had just been shot. **_

_**Riley just nodded, unable to form words at the moment. Silence filled the room, but was soon broken by a screaming and thrashing Alice. **_

"_**You cold-hearted bastard! You killed my father; I hope you rot in hell for this!"**_

_**James chuckled as her gripped the small girl tighter before pulling the trigger once more, watching as the woman fell on the floor next to her dying husband. **_

"_**NOOOO!" Alice screams got louder and louder with each passing second, just as James was becoming more and more pissed with her. **_

"_**Vic, get me something to shut her up please. Laurent, get rid of those bodies. Riley, secure the bank and grab the money, we're getting out of here now!" James got out the final word as he heard several police sirens outside the bank. He smirked and threw Alice to the ground. **_

_**She was about to make a run for it when he flipped her to her stomach and anchored her to the ground. She stared at her dead parents with tears in her eyes as James tied her hands together with duct tape and then slapped a piece over her mouth to keep her quiet.**_

_**James grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in a standing position again as he strapped a belt of some sort around her waist. When she looked at it, she knew right away a bomb had been strapped to her and she would soon be in heaven with her parents. When she looked around at the other hostages, she noticed they were all getting the same treatment. Tied and gagged with a bomb strapped around their waist. **_

"_**Alright ladies and gentlemen, you saw what happens if you piss me off, so in the next 30 minutes, don't piss me off! All these bombs have a individual remote, which I have thrown into a bag and have no idea which remote belongs with each belt, except out sweet little Alice's, of course.**_

"_**Now here is how this is going to work, you will be strapped to the person behind and in front of you and will only be released when we are out of sight. As for Alice, I haven't quite decided if I am going to keep her yet." He laughed as he ran a finger down her cheek. She stood completely still as she cried. She cried for her dead parents, she cried for the other unfortunate people in the same situation as her, she cried for her friends and family who she will probably never see again and finally she cried for herself. This is not how she saw her day at the mall ending, not even close. **_

_**Once the hostages, except Alice, were tied together Riley, Victoria and Laurent guided them through the bank doors while James grabbed Alice and the bags of money and ran towards the back entrance. He knew there would be cops on the other side, which is why he turned the corner at the last minute and headed for the roof-top. **_

_**Alice shook the whole way because she didn't know what would happen to her. Once they reached the roof-top, James threw Alice to the side as he signalled the hovering helicopter to drop the rope ladder. The police officers and FBI agents watched in shock as the kidnapper grabbed a young girl and began to climb up a dangling ladder attached to a helicopter. **_

_**Alice screamed as much as she could with the tape on her mouth as she was being forced to climb the dangling ladder. No matter how much she shook her head, James kept a tight hold on her and forced her up the ladder. **_

_**On the ground, Laurent, Riley and Victoria exited the bank with the remaining 11 hostages. The police instantly pointed their guns but when Laurent spoke everyone stood still. **_

"_**I wouldn't do that if I were you, as you can plainly see these eleven people has devices attached to them that could blow up said person and everything within a 50 foot range, times that by eleven; you do the math." He smirked as he pushed the hostages in a straight line blocking the view of himself, Riley and Victoria. **_

"_**In the bag there are eleven remotes. Once we leave you may turn off the belt with a simple switch, but only once we are out of sight. Our lives for theirs, sound simple enough?"**_

_**At that moment James and Alice were lowered beside the remaining kidnappers. He pushed the young girl to the ground before throwing a bag next to her and signaling for them to join him on the rope ladder. **_

_**The police officers watch helplessly as the kidnappers got away and once they were out of sight, they quickly attended to the remaining hostages. **_

_**Alice shook as she was loaded into an ambulance. Needless to say, she never went into the bank again and the next day a man named Carlisle and his wife Esme picked her up at the hospital informing her that they were good high school friends of her parents and their names were on the will as her guardian. **_

_**Alice went home with them that day where she met her sister, Charlotte and brother Edward. She thought her life would change for the better and considered this a new beginning.**_

_**End of Alice's flashback**_

_Alice shook her head as the memory of her dead parents and James evil laugh replayed over and over in her head. Every time she enters this mall, she has at least one flashback before she can escape the torture and go home where she is safe. _

_If Charlotte noticed her chance of mood, she didn't say anything and continued to shop for clothing for the Charity Gala. _

_Soon they were on their way home with the back seat full of bags. Alice was still jumpy from the flashback. Since she didn't tell anyone what had happen that evening at the store, Charlotte didn't know why her bouncy mood suddenly changed. _

_Once they were back without the safety of their home, Alice and Charlotte quickly showed everyone what they had bought they put it away in the designated closets until Friday evening when they would get ready. _

_The two teenagers were excitedly bouncing by Friday morning. Charlotte and Alice were awake and ready by 11 am, even then they told their parents that they had taken their time. _

_Charlotte had been dating a boy from school, Peter and Alice was going with Peter's brother, Garrett. She didn't like him in any way other than a friend and that's exactly what they were going as. Edward on the other hand, had girls lining up to his front door. Finally, Charlotte and Alice had enough and hooked Edward up with a girl from school that was also their best friend, Angela. _

_The Charity event went flawlessly as the evening carried on. Everyone was dancing, laughing and having a good time. Alice and Garrett talked the night away, carrying on and catching up as old friend, while Charlotte and Peter swayed to every song on the dance floor, fast or slow, they kept a steady beat. Edward and Angela on the other hand, ignored each other for the most part. At one point in the night, Carlisle asked Edward if he was going to dance with his date and he couldn't remember her name. _

_After that, they started talking quietly but still kept a distance from one another. _

_The evening supper drifted into nightly dances and drinks increased every minute. By midnight, Esme put her foot down and pull Carlisle away from the bar before he could have yet another drink. He protested and turned angry but he knew where he was and didn't want to make a scene. He ordered his children and wife to get in the car because they were going home. They obeyed with and with a heavy heart, Charlotte, Alice and Edward said goodnight to their dates. _

_On the way home Alice continued to text furiously on her cell phone. She had met someone at the gala that caught her eye and as the night went on, they exchanged names and numbers. Garrett on the other hand had also found that perfect someone; a small girl named Kate. So Garrett and Alice parted way after the fifth dance and went to talk to their should-have-be date for the evening. _

_**(A/N: In the first chapter, Alice was still with her real parents. A month AFTER the concert was the accident.)**_

_Carlisle's head was spinning as the alcohol took effect in his system. The constantly clicking was slowly driving him insane and the last straw fell when Alice's phone began to ring. He had watched his adoptive daughter the entire night as she flirted with some boy he didn't know. _

"_Hello?" Alice smiled as she heard his voice. _

_After about 10 minutes of talking, Carlisle had enough. He still didn't know why he had done it but with the large amount of liquor he had consume, he reached into the back seat, grabbed Alice's phone and snapped it in half before throwing it out the open window of the car. _

_Alice watched in shock as the man she grew to love and call 'Dad' had just taken away her happiness; not to mention her broken phone. _

"_DAD! What was that for?" She screeched at her father as her siblings watched the phone bounce around as it hit the pavement behind them. _

_Carlisle ignored her, "It's late, your mother and I had a long day. When we get home all of you go straight to bed." _

_Alice looked at him in shock. _

"_You threw my cell phone out the window after breaking it in two! Dad, what the hell is wrong with you? Do you want me to be miserable the rest of my life?" _

"_Mary Alice Cullen, you will never speak to me in that tone of voice again. You don't even know the boy and you flirted with him the entire night! Then you gave him your number. What if he was some kind of murderer or rapist? How would I protect you then? You are still a litt-"_

"_Don't. Say. Little. Girl." Alice seethed with a look of pure fury in her eyes. "That 'boy' has known Garrett since pre-school. That 'boy' has been talking to me for two weeks! We planned this entire night out so we could meet and get to know each other. I had his number since last Friday and we've been chatting online since for weeks. He's a nice person father and you just ruined my only chance at being happy." Alice was in tears by the time she finished her speech. _

_Edward and Charlotte were quiet the entire time Carlisle and Alice were arguing. They didn't want to say anything that would make the situation worse than it already was. _

_Once they got to the house, Carlisle jumped out of the car, as quickly as he could in his drunken state and opened the back door where Alice was seated in the middle between Charlotte and Edward. Edward looked at his father but didn't move in fear of his father doing something to Alice in which he would regret once he was back to his sober self. _

"_Edward, get out of the car." His father glared at him before grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and throwing him off to the side. _

"_Carlisle please stop, you are going to do something you'll regret." Esme tried to reason with him but he ignored her, focusing on Alice who was currently trying to escape from the other side of the car with Charlotte. _

_He grabbed her arm before she could get out next to Charlotte and being so tiny, she was pulled to the other side of the car. _

_Once Alice was out of the car, Carlisle pulled her towards the house, ignoring the many pleads from his children and wife to stop._

_He walked towards her bedroom where he threw her towards the bed. _

"_Pack your belongings; I'm not raising a daughter that's a slut. You will move out tomorrow morning. I never want to see your face here every again!" With that, he slammed the door in her face and pushed a chair against the door. _

"_DADDY!" Alice screamed as she loudly hit the door with her fists. "Daddy." She whimpered. Why was he doing this? Doesn't he want her to be happy? She was so confused as she had no other choice but to pack her things. _

_Downstairs Edward, Charlotte and Esme watched in disbelief as their loving father and husband cursed on his youngest daughter. _

_Finally Esme had enough and walked up to him looking him straight in the eye. Just as Carlisle was about to say something her hand raised and sent Carlisle flying towards the breakfast island in the middle of the kitchen –since he was too drunk to stand steady for any length of time._

_Edward and Charlotte watched as their mother slapped their father with so much force. Since the day they were born they always believed their parents had love to one another and had never seen them fight or raise a hand. _

_Esme shook her hand and continued to yell at her husband of 20 years. Never once since she had known him did he raise his voice to her or his children. This was a huge change for her and she was going to fix it before it got worst. _

_Two hours –and many glasses of water- later, Carlisle was sober enough to know that he yelled at their adoptive daughter. He convinced Esme that he didn't know what was going on –as that was the first time he had gotten drunk- and told her that he would fix things with Alice. _

_He ran up the stairs to his daughter's bedroom and moved the chair away from the door. He knocked lightly, but when he didn't get an answer he assumed she was asleep. He opened the door just a cracked and poked his head in. The room was empty and the bed was still made. _

_Carlisle panicked and walked further into the room, noticing a note on the bed. _

_In Alice's perfect handwriting, it read:_

_**Mom, Edward and Charlotte, (and Carlisle –I guess)**_

_**I just want to let you know that you won't have to deal with me anymore. I'm sorry my parents were killed and you were forced to adopt me. I'm sorry I have been such a burden on your life that my "father" thinks of me as a slut. **_

_**I promise I'll stay out of your life for good. Don't bother to look for me; you'll never find me.**_

_**To Edward and Charlotte; you are the best big brother and sister a girl could ever ask for. You were there for me whenever I needed help and you helped me get through the loss of my parents. I love you both, I'm sorry we never got a proper good-bye. **_

_**To mom; I don't know how close you were with my parents, but I'm glad I got to know you. You are the best mother anyone could ever ask for. I love you so much mommy. I'm sorry we have to say goodbye like this. **_

_**To Carlisle; ….My parents always told me 'If you have nothing nice to say, then don't say anything at all'. I will never forgive you for what you have done to me tonight; even if you can't remember in the morning. **_

_**I will never forget you all (except Carlisle), **_

_**Alice Brandon xo **_

_Carlisle fell onto his daughter's bed. What have he done? He drove his daughter away from him. She wouldn't even call him 'Dad' in the letter. He hated himself for what he did to his family. He wouldn't blame them if they hated his guts forever because he sure hated himself. _

_-15 minutes later- _

_Alice continued to walk down the long driveway. She had 150 dollars from her birthday, two pink suitcases filled with clothes and a book bag filled with other personal items. She climbed over her balcony and down the ladder covered in vines. Since Edward's room was right next to hers, he too knew about the hidden ladder. _

_She had a spare phone in her desk drawer that her real parents had insisted on keeping, adding minutes to it every month. They told her that she might need it for an emergency. _

_She sent the boy a quick text –she had it number memorized to heart- and he told her he would meet her at the end of her driveway. His name was Jasper and she had met him when her parents had got her and Bella –her best friend- tickets to go see the hottest band around; 'Eclispe'. Carlisle, Esme, Edward and Charlotte had no idea that Alice and Jasper had been communicating over a year and dating since her birthday just over two months ago. _

_Jasper had to work the night of the charity event but surprised her when he showed up after work. Garrett was also in on the plan the entire time, little to her knowledge._

_Jasper was there waiting for his girlfriend at the end of her massive driveway. He couldn't believe what her adoptive father had done to her. She assured him after he had calmed down that she was fine and they were going to spend their life together, forgetting about them entirely. _

_Carlisle ran down the stairs in a panic after he came to his senses. His daughter was missing and he would find her, if it was the last think he did. _

_The whole family searched for seven hours until Esme forced them to take a break. It was obvious that Alice didn't want to be found because they had searched the entire neighbourhood and other than her note to the family, there wasn't a piece of her left in the house –besides pictures from recent holidays and family outings._

_Carlisle felt defeated and slumped down in his office chair. He wanted to keep looking but he had already searched every inch of every street. The only other place she could have went was out of Forks and much to Carlisle's protest, he agreed to get some rest and continue searching after dinner. _

_After dinner, the family continued looking. They looked for hours each day for the next two weeks, but it seemed Alice Brandon was nowhere to be found. Eventually they gave up searching and moved on with their lives. _

_End of Flashback_

Alice sighed and Edward decided then it was time for a subject change.

"Why did you follow me out of Mackynzie's room Alice? You never came here to argue with me, now tell me the reason."

She sighed and sat in the chair across from me before speaking. "I over-heard Mac asking Bella if she could invite you and your boys over for dinner on Sunday. This was after my loving father demanded me to go over to the house for dinner. I knew that if he asked Jasper and I, then he definitely asked you and the boys. Besides, I think Bella really likes you and you really like her."

"She never said anything to me; in fact we barely talk anymore."

"Yeah, about that, when exactly were you going to tell me you were Mackynzie's _father?"_

I raised my hands in surrender, "Hey, I only found out a few days ago. I should have realized it the first time I saw her. Who else has the exact same color hair as me and bright green eyes? If it wasn't for those pouty lips I wouldn't know she was actually Bella's daughter."

"Edward Anthony Cullen, you better tell that little girl right now! Every day since Liam was born she had to watch him receive love from both his mom and his dad while she only had a mom. What are you waiting for; she's not going to stay young forever!"

"Honestly Alice I don't know. I guess I'm afraid of her turning me away. She's five already Alice, five years of her life I missed."

"Edward, she adores Bella but there's a piece of her family that's missing. Sure you will have to give her time to get use to you coming into her life and especially with the boys since they still are your sons. You are going to have to explain it to them too. If you need help, I'm only a phone call away." She walked around the desk and kissed my cheek before leaving the office.

I knew I had to tell Mackynzie sooner rather than later, but how is the hard question.

On the ride home that night, I made a promise to myself; I will visit Mackynzie Sunday after Thanksgiving dinner and tell her that I'm her father. If she accepts me, then it'll be time to tell my boys and let her meet her half-brothers. Then hopefully we can eventually be a family we all need. This plan _is_ going to work; I'll make sure of it.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think? :) Who knew Carlisle could be so mean when he was drunk? And Edward as made a promise to himself to tell his daughter the truth! <strong>

**Tell me your thoughts and I'll send you a look at chapter 8! I promise the next chapter is where the fun starts :) So 14 reviews for chapter 8 :) **

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	9. Chapter 8

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**Bella's POV**

-Thanksgiving Day 9:00 am-

"Ne, Ne, Ne, Ne, Ne." Liam shouted at he sat at the table in his highchair. Mackynzie sat next to him as she ate her breakfast. Even since we got home from the hospital Liam wouldn't leave her side. Emmett convinced us to move back in with them for the next few weeks since Mackynzie can't return to school and I have to go back to work. It will save us both of us money because while I am working, Emmett or Rose will look after the kids and the same when they are working.

"Liam say Ma-ken-zie." Mackynzie said slowly as she avoided her cousin's breakfast which was currently being thrown at the table.

"Ne!" Liam squeals as he throws a handful of cheerios in the air. Mackynzie pouted but when pieces of cereal fell on her hair and clothes she let out a small giggle.

Mackynzie was upset when Dr. Cullen told her that she couldn't lift heavy objects for three weeks and couldn't go back to school for a week. I convinced her that her tummy had to grow back together and if it didn't grow right she would end up in the hospital even longer. She was satisfied when I told her she would get to see Liam every day until she goes back to school and although she wouldn't be able to lift him, she could keep him occupied.

After breakfast Mac and Liam sat on the couch to watch Sunday morning cartoons and since it was Thanksgiving re-runs of her favourite holidays shows were airing. Emmett was cooking the turkey for dinner and I was helping Rose with some last minute housekeeping items.

Emmett told me he asked Alice and Jasper over for dinner but they never gave him an actual answer so he didn't know what they were doing. I didn't know if Alice had any more family or distant family members in town but Jasper's parents are in Texas and they never flew out of the country because I was talking to Alice last night.

"Mommy?" Mackynzie sang out from the living room.

"Yes sweetie? Mommy's in the kitchen with Aunt Rose." I called back since we were right next door.

She didn't reply but I heard her footsteps come towards the kitchen, followed by a smaller pair of feet. Liam was learning to walk and he won't get help from anyone except his big cousin.

"Liam said he was hungry mommy. Then he tried to eat my hair." She pouted as Liam gripped her hand trying not to fall on his bottom.

"Oh baby, Liam was just being silly. Right cutie pie?" I asked as I tapped his button nose.

"Up, up, up, up, up." Liam says raising his arms towards Mackynzie. He has been following her around since she got home yesterday. She's been soaking up every bit of the attention.

"Liam, want to go up with Aunt Bella?" Mackynzie cooed.

"Ne, up." Liam said shaking his head full of brown curls.

"Ne can't take you up Lele." Mackynzie decided that if she had a nickname, Liam should have one too.

"Come on kiddies, let's go watch some cartoons." Emmett said as he swept both kids into his arms before taking off towards the living room.

"He certainly knows how to get out of cooking, huh?" Rose laughed as she watched her husband disappear into the living room with the kids.

"I heard that!" Emmett sang out from the living room.

"But Uncle Em, you said you didn't want to cook 'the bird'." Mackynzie confessed.

"Uncle Em was kidding Macaroni." Mackynzie giggled at the name.

Thanksgiving day, 12:30 pm

"I can't eat any more mommy. I'm gonna have a big belly like Uncle Em if I eat any more." Mac said as she slid down in her chair. I tried my hardest not to laugh but when my brother shouted from the bathroom, "I heard that macaroni!" I just couldn't help it anymore and I started to laugh, causing Liam to copy me.

"Okay sweetie, you can go watch some more tv while you wait for Liam." Mackynzie's eyes widen and she quickly sat up right on her chair before looking at me with a serious expression.

"But mommy, I never had dessert!"

"You said you were stuffed." I told her.

"I have room for ice cream mommy, you're so silly." She giggled and of course Liam copied her.

"Did someone say ice cream?" Emmett said as he walked back into the room. He left to go get a facecloth to clean Liam's messy mouth. He was finally eating solid foods and getting more on himself, the floor and the highchair than in his mouth because he wanted to feed himself.

Mackynzie pouted and crossed her fingers as she said, "Pleaseeeee?" _How could anyone say 'no' to that? _Reluctantly I got her some ice cream from the freezer and got a small bowl for Liam as well. Monkey sees monkey want in this house has become a common thing; even with Emmett because when I went to put away the ice cream, he pouted and whined, 'what about your big brother?' I am clearly a pushover because I got a bowl for him before putting the ice cream away.

After getting the kids cleaned and settled down, Rose and I put the dishes in the dishwasher and joined the kids on the couch as they watch re-runs of 'Charlie Brown'.

Eventually Liam found Mackynzie's wiggling toes more interesting than the television and Emmett fell asleep. I was reading my book when there was a knock on the door. Mackynzie jumped up screaming "I'll get it!" Liam clumsily got to his feet to chase her but he was too afraid to move without help so he sat back down and crawled after her instead.

I followed her to the door just to stay in hearing range in case it was something important. When I heard the person speak my mouth fell open and I inched closer to hear every word they said without being seen.

**Edward's POV**

"Ethan and Noah, time to get up." I called to my boys as I finished packing the overnight bag for the kids. I had to work late tomorrow night and the kids were staying at my parent's house since they have no day-care on Tuesday due to some kind of meeting at the center so my parents offered to watch them while I worked.

Ethan slowly came into my bedroom, climbed on the bed and closed his eyes. Noah followed minutes later. I hated waking them up so early but we needed to leave early enough to get anywhere on time.

"If you go back to sleep you're not going to Nana and Poppy's house." I said with a smile because I knew that would get them up. Noah's eyes popped open and he smiled before looking at his brother.

"Ethy get up, we're going to Nana and Poppy's house today!" He said excitedly.

"Daddy?" Ethan asked with his eyes still closed. "Are you going to see Uncle Pebble and Aunt Lolly?"

I tried to hide my smile as I answered him. "No sweetie, they are not going to be home until tomorrow." It broke my heart to tell them that but they wanted to surprise the boys so they promised me not to tell them.

Ethan opened his eyes, "Do you think they will bring us back something?"

I shrugged, "I don't know buddy but maybe after we can call them and see if they are getting on the big airplane, okay?" Ethan nodded and Noah just smiled.

"Now let's go get some food, I'm starving!" I said as I ran towards the kitchen, my boys following close behind.

After an hour of checking and re-checking to make sure we had everything we got in the car and headed to my parent's house. While the boys were getting into their seats I told them I would be back in a minute because I 'forgot' something. I quickly ran back into the house and pulled out my phone to call my sister. She answered on the second ring.

"_Hello?" _

"Hi Charlotte, where are you guys at now?"

"_Walking though the airport, we just landed."_

"Great, are mom and dad coming to get you?"

"_No, dad told me Jasper and Alice was. Since when did they start talking again?" _

"Long story, I'll tell when I get a chance but the boys are in the car waiting for me."

"_Oh, I can't wait to see the little cuties!" _She squealed.

I laughed, "You better have a gift for the little cuties or they are going to be very disappointed."

"_Of course I do Edward! Alice, Jasper over here! I have to go; I'll see you in a bit. Love yah."_

"Love you too, be careful." I managed to get out before she hung up the phone on me.

When I got back to the car Noah and Ethan were asleep against the windows in the back seat of the car. I slowly open each door, fixing their head with a pillow and making sure they had their seatbelts on. When I was sure they were comfortable, I got in the car and buckled up before backing out of the driveway and driving towards my parent's place.

We made it to my parents in about a half hour considering there was a lot of traffic and I was avoiding the bumps as much as possible for the boys. As soon as I stopped the car, their eyes popped open.

"We're here already?" Noah asked with sleep in his voice.

I laughed before grabbing our bags and helping them out of the car. When they saw Esme and Carlisle standing on the front porch they ran towards them and gave them a big hug.

I smiled as I reached my parents, giving them hugs and kisses before following the kids inside. I called for the boys as I walked upstairs, telling them to bring their bags to their room. Even though we don't live here, my parents insisted on having a room just for the kids since they are the only grandchildren. I also wanted to give Charlotte and Peter a chance to get in the house before the boys tackle them.

I know Alice is scared to come back to the house after what happened so many years ago but I assured her it would be fine. Dad was actually really upset ever since the incident and he just wanted his daughter back. They haven't spoken since that night –except for a few minutes on the phone to invite them to dinner- and I really want this to work out between them. Mom hated dad for years after it happened so Alice would be doing all of us a huge favor by coming here today. I was actually really excited for her and Jasper to meet their nephews for the first time and for the boys to meet their aunt and uncle.

I know they will ask many questions but knowing Alice she'll have a gift for them so as soon as they see their surprises they will forget about the questions for a little while until I can come up with some good answers.

Once their bags were packed away I sent them back downstairs following close behind them. When we reached the last step their eyes widened at the trail of candy in the hallway. There was a note attached to the first candy. It read: _Sugar is sweet and so are you, so eat these candies and follow clues. _

I read it out to the boys as they chewed on their Smarties. Only my sister would come up with a clever way of letting the boys know she was home.

After several minutes of eating candies the boys stopped when they reached the coffee table where two big electronic cars were placed on either side with a huge teddy bear in each of them. On the coffee table there was another note.

Noah grabbed the note and handed it to me while he went over to the blue car that had his name on the license plate.

It read: _'Our boys are special and deserve a big treat, so we better get lots of hugs and kisses. Now turn around sweeties.'_ The boys quickly turned around to see Peter and Charlotte standing in the doorway. Their smiled grew even wider as they ran to their aunt and uncle.

"Aunt Lolly! Uncle Pebble!" they squealed as Noah and Ethan gave them lots of hugs and kisses.

"Hi cuties, did you like your surprises?" Charlotte asked as she walked towards me with Ethan, Peter followed close behind with Noah.

"YEAH! IT'S SO COOL!" Ethan yelled as he gave her another kiss and hug before thanking her and repeating the hugs and kisses again. Noah did the same with his uncle.

Charlotte laughed before letting him down to go play with his new car. I gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek before shaking Peter's hand.

"You spoil them too much Char." I laughed as I watch them strap their teddy bears into the car before putting on their own seatbelts and while looking for the 'start button' as Noah had called it.

"Nah, they're only young once, might as well give them everything before they start growing up." Peter laughed.

I watched as they finally found the go button and took off –as fast as the car could go- through the house, slowing down to go around the turns.

"So, what's going on with Ali? Is she actually coming over for dinner?" Charlotte asked as we took a seat on the couch.

"Didn't she and Jasper pick you up from the airport?" I asked confused.

"Yeah, but she never actually said if she was coming to dinner or not. We talked on the way here and when we got to the house, Jasper helped take the cars from the trunk and they left again."

"Honestly, I don't know if she's coming here or not. I think she was asked to Emmett's place but she never said 'no' to dad either when he asked her."

"I really hope they work something out. This has been going on for way too long. It was nice to see her again. She looks really happy with Jasper." Charlotte smiled as the boys ran back in the room dragging teddy bears as big as them behind them.

"Charlie…and…Smokey…told…us…they…are…sick…can…you…watch…them?" Ethan asked out of breathe while Noah nodded.

Peter nodded and smiled as he took each bear and laid them down on the couch then put a blanket over them. Once Noah and Ethan were satisfied they raced back out of the living room.

"Oh, Edward they are growing up so fast." Charlotte said as she watched them run out of the room.

I laughed and got up from my spot on the couch when I heard mom call us to the dinner table. Just as we were done filling our plates with food there was a knock on the door. Mom said "I'll get it" since she was the only one standing up.

"Oh honey." I heard her cry before dad jumped up from the table to see what was wrong.

"Dad, don't worry everything is okay." I assured him and he slowly sat back in his chair.

Noah looked at me, "Daddy I have to pee." I nodded and pulled out his chair from the table so he could jump down.

Ethan looked at me as his brother disappeared around the corner, "I have to pee too." He said, I let him out of his chair as well because I could never tell if they wanted to be together, or if he actually had to pee.

Five minutes later they both returned to the table and I helped them back in their chairs before pushing them into the table again.

Mom returned shortly after followed by Alice and Jasper. Dad looked down sheepishly before looking at me. Even after all these years he was still upset by his actions towards Alice.

"Daddy?" Alice said looking towards Carlisle, waiting for his reaction.

Carlisle looked up with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes. "Oh Ali, I'm so sorry." He said as he rushed towards her and embraced her in his arms.

"No daddy, I'm sorry. I over reacted and I should have given you a chance to explain." Alice said as she wiped away stray tears.

Jasper stood behind her next to mom, both of them sharing the same smile.

"No sweetheart, _I _overreacted. If anyone should apologize it should be me. You have yourself a fine young man and I should have given him a chance."

"Jasper, this is my father, Carlisle Cullen and you have already met my mom, Esme." Carlisle shook Jasper's hand and the smile never left his face the entire time.

"Let enjoy our dinner honey, we have lots of time for talking. Besides, I think you need to meet your nephews." Noah and Ethan looked up from their plates with full mouths and tried to smile. After a few seconds they swallowed their food and were able to talk.

"Noah, Ethan, this is your Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper. Ali, Jasper, this is Noah and Ethan your nephews."

"Hi." They both whispered as they looked between Alice and Jasper.

"Well aren't you the cutest little things ever." She gushed as she came closer. Ethan and Noah smiled big toothless grin at her. They lost their two front teeth at the same time and they weren't afraid to show it. Alice smiled as Jasper handed her a bag before turning back to the boys.

"I bought these gifts for two little boys but I don't know any little boys that like gifts." She smiled at them as their jaws dropped open.

"We love gifts. Aunt Lolly and Uncle Pebble gave us a biggggg teddy bear. Even bigger than me and bigger than Ethan, right Ethan?" Ethan nodded as his brother continued talking. "And we even got cool cars; do you want to see them?" Noah beamed at her.

Alice giggled before smiling back at them, "How about we eat dinner first? Then you can open your presents and show me your other gifts, okay?" They both nodded and continued eating as Alice and Jasper took their seats.

Dinner past uneventfully and afterwards Alice and Jasper were just as excited and the boys when they showed their new aunt and uncle what they got this morning.

Afterwards Alice came to sit next to me on the couch. I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the den down the hall. I quietly shut the door before turning towards her.

"You have some explaining to do missy." Alice frowned as she sat on the couch.

"I'm sorry Edward, after talking to Jazzy I decided it was the right thing to do. I know I was mad at Dad when I was in your office but after thinking about it I decided it was time to grow up and get over this silly argument that has kept me away from my family. You know I always wanted a big wedding but I didn't even have one. Jasper and I aren't married; we're just engaged. I wanted to have a big beautiful wedding with my whole family there and my father to give me away so after talking to Jasper we decided to have a Christmas wedding and I would talk to Dad on Thanksgiving. When I dropped Charlotte and Peter off I was about to back out but Mom saw me in the car and she made me change my mind as I was heading to Emmett's. Jasper and I agreed that what happened between Dad and I was just a little bump in the road and I shouldn't have run away that night. If I gave dad time we could've talked it out. Besides, I was hoping if Dad and I made up, that it would help you tell Mackynzie the truth." By the time she was done I was sitting on the couch next to her, with my head in my hands.

"I want to Ali, I really do but I'm afraid." I confessed.

"Like I was the night I ran away?" She asked. "I was afraid that what dad said was true, that I was nothing more than a slut and that I never did belong in your family, so I ran away to Texas with Jasper."

"If she doesn't want me to be her father I'm going to be heartbroken. I already see her as a missing piece of me."

"But you don't know that. She might welcome you with open arms. Sure, you have a lot of explaining to do and it might take her awhile to understand what's going on but it's worth a shot, isn't it?"

I looked at my sister through watery eyes. If she could forgive what dad did to her all those years ago, then it was time for me to introduce my daughter to her father.

I sighed as stood up before turning to face her again, "Would you mind babysitting the boys for a hour?"

She squealed before hugging me. "Of course I wouldn't mind. Go get your daughter back, the boys will be fine," she smiled as she turned to walk out. I heard her mumble something on her way out that sounded like, "They have enough play-doh to last them a month!" but I shook my head and followed her anyways.

The drive to Bella's house felt long and several times I almost turned around but I forced myself to keep going, telling myself it was for the best and everything would work out in the end.

When I reached the address Alice had given me I turned off my car and stared at the front door, as if she was going to run out and jump into my arms any second.

After a few minutes I finally got the courage to get out of the car and go to the front door. I took a deep breath before knocking three times and waiting patiently. When no one answered the door, I knocked again but the door still remained shut. I thought about try the door to see if it was locked but quickly decided against it.

I sighed and returned to my car, only just noticing that the driveway was indeed empty. _Why didn't I notice this before?_ I mentally slapped myself before grabbing the piece of paper that was on the seat. Just as I was about to crumple it up and throw it in the garbage, I noticed a note on back. I turned it over and read it. _Edward, if you are reading this it means that Bella isn't home and you are about to come back to Dad's. Don't give up now because you are so close to getting the truth out, so if you failed to find Bella and Mackynzie at her house, it means she's at her brother's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Here is the address. Love, Alice _

Alice; she always did have a way of knowing things before they happened. Sighing once more I read the address and repeated it over and over as I reversed my car and pulled back onto the road. It only took me about a minute to find Emmett's house and I noticed right away that their driveway was full of vehicles compared to Bella's empty driveway.

I mentally prepared myself for what I was going to say as I walked to the door. I took a deep breath and slowly released it before knocking three times and stepping back.

Within seconds the door swung open, and while I didn't see one, the voice that belonged to a little girl caused me to look down. Mackynzie stood with the door knob still in her hand as she smiled up at me.

"Hi Dr. Cullen." She smiled.

I was about to answer her when a little boy about one years old crawled behind Mackynzie and yelled, "Ne, Ne, up."

I smiled as I watched the two of them interact, "Hi Mackynzie, is your mom here?" _Wait, what? Why in the world did I ask for Bella?_

"Yep." She said, still smiling and holding the toddler's hand as he tried his best to keep his balance on his shaky legs.

"Can you go get her for me?"

"Macaroni, My Little Pony is on." I heard a voice that sounded a lot like Emmett shouted from another room somewhere in the house.

Mackynize's eyes lit up, "I'll get mommy for you, but I have to watch my show. Bye!" As quickly as she could she walked away with the toddler holding her hands.

I looked at my feet as I awkwardly stood in the door but only seconds later I heard a throat clear and I looked up to see Bella leaning against the door with her arms crossed.

"Hi." I said as I stared at her like an idiot.

"Hi." She smiled at me.

"Um, this is awkward. Remember when I spoke to you in the hospital about Mackynzie." She nodded and I continued, "Well I decided that today was the day I was going to tell her the truth, if you will still let me be a part of your lives." She nodded and moved from the doorway inviting me in.

I followed her down a hallway to a bedroom. Once we were both inside she closed the bedroom door and turned to face me.

"Here's the thing; the only reason I'm letting you have a chance it because I know what it is like growing up with only one parent. When Renee left my father, I was ten and I didn't understand what was going on and why I never saw my mom anymore. Charlie tried his best to be a mom and a dad but it was hard at times, especially when it came to explaining 'girl things'. I love him so much and I wouldn't have survived my pregnancy if it wasn't for my dad and Emmett but I did and I raised a beautiful little girl.

She sighed before continuing, "I saw the look in Mackynize's eyes when she heard Liam say 'Da' for the first time. She never said 'Da' as a baby; it was either 'Ma' for me or 'Pa' for Charlie. She missed out on a big part of her life Edward, so don't be surprised if she turns you away. I know she wants a dad but remember that you have two children of your own and she may get jealous since it was only her getting all the attention until Liam came along." I thought she was going to say more but when she looked at me, I knew she was finished.

"Bella, if I had known all those years ago that I was her father, or that you got pregnant from me do you honestly think I would have turned you away? I know it's too late to fix my mistakes but I am not the stupid teenager I was 6 years ago. I have two children of my own who only knew their mother for a little over a week. They never grew up with a mother and although my sister Charlotte is like a mother to them, it's just not the same. I promise I will do everything for Mackynzie to make up for the lost time. It's going to take a while but I'm staying until you or Mackynzie send me away; just say the word and I'll leave you alone. I want to make this work Bella, trust me when I say that I had no idea you were pregnant. Alice told Jasper that you had no choice in the move, that your parents forced you to move away from your best friend. Bella that night I saw you at the concert, there was a bond between us that was very strong. I think I fell in love with you that night; I think I'm falling in love all over again." I looked at her to see her reaction. I just poured my heart out to her but she never said a word the entire time I was speaking.

"I trust you to make the right choices Edward. You can make yourself comfortable, I'll go get Mac." I nodded and watched her leave the room.

I took deep breaths as I tried to remember what I was going to say Mackynzie and more importantly, how I was going to say it.

Within minutes I heard Mackynzie's voice drift down the hallway, "But momma, my show is on!" She whined. _Maybe I came at the wrong time._

"Don't worry Mac, uncle Em is going to record it for you." I heard Bella reassure her.

"So I can watch it again and again and again and again-" Bella cut off Mackynzie's rant.

"Yes sweetheart, you can watch it as many times as you want!"

They both entered the room and Bella closed the door behind her. She grabbed Mackynzie in her arms as she sat on the chair across from the bed and waited for me to speak.

I cleared my throat before speaking, "Mackynzie, remember how we were talking in the hospital about having a dad? You told me that you always wanted a dad." She nodded her head making her bronze curly pigtails bounce. "Well, before you were born, your mommy and I knew each other. One day your mommy moved away to your Grandpa Charlie's house with your uncle Em. I didn't know your mommy had a little girl until I saw you at the hospital a few weeks ago.

I took a deep breath before I continued, "I'm your dad Mackynzie and you`re my daughter." I watched her reaction as I said the last sentence, surely she understood what I was saying, didn't she?

"Can I go watch Lil' Ponies now mommy?" Mackynzie asked looking at Bella.

"Honey, Edward is trying to tell you that you do have a father. Just like Uncle Em is Liam's daddy, Edward is yours."

"I know." She smiled.

"Sweetie, I know this is a big change for you but will you let me have a chance in your life as your father? I have two little boys at home and I know they will be excited to meet their big sister." Her eyes lit up as she looked back at me.

She nodded eagerly "Can I meet them today? How old are they? What are their names? Can I meet them daddy pleaseeeeee?" Mackynzie crossed her fingers and pouted at me but all I heard was 'daddy'. I was positive that I was crying when I felt little hands touch my cheeks.

"Don't cry daddy, I want to meet my little brothers. Mommy, why is daddy crying?" I looked over at Bella who was wiping away a stray tear as well.

"Mac, Ed-daddy is crying happy tears. He didn't know he had a daughter and now that he has you, he is happy –really happy." Bella smiled up at me before returning her gaze to her daughter.

"Are you happy daddy?" I nodded, unable to form words. I felt two small arms wrap around me and I hesitated for a moment before scooping her into my arms and kissing her tiny forehead.

"Edward?" I heard my name being called out but I didn't understand who it was or where I was. "Edward? Mackynzie asked you a question."

I shook my head to see Bella and Mackynzie staring at me with the same expression. "Sorry, what?" I asked while rubbing the back of my head. _Didn't I just tell her that I was her father? What's going on?_

"I asked you if you wanted to watch Lil' Ponies with me." I smiled at my _daughter_ and nodded. She jumped from my lap and grabbed my hand, dragging me towards the door.

"Mac, I have to speak with Edward for a minute okay? I promise he won't be long." Mackynzie frowned but let go of my hand and left the room.

"Ed-"

"Bel-", we spoke at the same time before she motioned me to continue.

"I just want to say that I know we had a rough past but letting me have a chance in her life means a lot to me. I was so happy when she called me 'daddy', honestly I didn't think she would understand and I tried to explain it the best way I could to a five year old. I know that once she gets older and understands things a lot better there will be a lot more questions but until then, I'm happy with her accepting my boys and I into her family. Especially you Bella, I wasn't lying when I said I thought you were beautiful. I know I was an asshole six years ago but I'm changed now and I would love for you to give me another chance. We can go as slow as you want, I will wait forever if that's what it takes to make you happy."

She smiled at me, like an actual smile, before speaking, "Edward, I'm giving you this chance because I know that you can be an amazing father. I want my daughter to have that chance to have a dad. Like you say, she's young and she don't understand what's going on, or why you are suddenly in her life but if she is willing to give you a chance then so am I. You have one week to prove yourself to her and me that you can be a good father, even with work and your sons. I was partly to blame for my actions six years ago, I ran out when I saw us in the bed together and I should have known that I was pregnant when I started to get sick from certain foods but I ignored it until Alice forced me to go to the hospital. Maybe, just maybe, I might give us a chance if you can prove to us that you can be a good father." She was about to leave before I called her name again.

"Bella, I have so much more to confess to you that you don't know."

"I know Edward, but before you can get back into my heart, you have to reach my daughter's." With that, she turned and walked out of the room.

**Bella's POV**

My daughter is truly the most forgiving person on earth! Edward Cullen, her father, came out of the blue and told her that he was actually her dad and not only did she believe him, she trusted him as if she had known him her whole life. I know it was wrong for me to let Edward have another chance but I felt it was time to put my big girl panties on and get over the past. I want my daughter to grow up in a loving family and while I can't do much about being single, I can certainly let her experience the fun that comes with having two parents, even if she will be sharing her time between us. Who knows, in the end this could all work out?

I shook my head from that thought as I watched Edward and Mackynize interact on the couch. It was really obvious that they were related. Liam watch as Mackynzie laughed and talked with this strange man but after a while, he warmed up to Edward and shared his lap with Mackynzie.

Emmett kept looking at me strange, as if he was waiting for me to come back to reality and see that I let a stranger into my daughter's life. I have only dated once since Mackynzie was born and that relationship only lasted about two hours anyway. Maybe Edward and I will actually have a chance at happiness again. _Ha, yeah right, I'm not giving him a second chance._

I stood and walked towards the front door. I needed some fresh air to clear my head and really understand this current situation.

Seconds after I sat down on the front porch, I heard the door swing open again. Emmett sat next to me on the step and wrapped his arms around his knees.

"Exciting day, huh?" I nodded.

"My life is never dull; you should know that by now." I laughed as I watched him smile back at me.

"So Edward Cullen is Macaroni's dad; didn't see that one coming."

"Yeah me either." I sighed.

"What are you thinking sis?"

"I don't know, did I make the right choice by letting Edward into her life? She looks happy but what happens when one of his kids needs more attention than her and she gets upset, should I regret my decision?"

"Remember that scared little girl four years ago, we searched for hours each day looking for the father of your child. You were ready to give up looking and give up having a life with your daughter but you were strong then and you are stronger now. If Mackynzie doesn't want a father in a few years then she will be old enough to say something but there's a very happy and excited little girl in the living room who has met her dad for the first time. I remember how confused we both were when mom left us with dad. You thought your world was crashing down around you; well it's the same with Mackynzie except she's meeting her father for the first time. Maybe she secretly wanted a father but didn't know how to tell you. Look at the positive Bella, Mackynzie is happy and healthy. Sure I want to kill the bastard for staying away for so long but better late than never, right?" I stared at my brother, who less than two hours ago was whining for some ice cream and now he's giving me advice and being a good big brother.

"Thanks Em, you always knows what to say to cheer me up."

He smiled a big dimple grin before standing up and grabbing my hand to pull me with him. "Would you be angry if I told you that I may have agreed to go on a date with Edward?"

"Mad; no, if you're happy, I'm happy. But don't be surprised if I'm sitting on the front step with my rifle like dad was the night you came home with Jason."

I felt my jaw drop open, before I slapped him playfully on the arm, "His name was Jacob and he never spoke to me again after he saw dad's face."

"Jason, Jacob, what's the difference? Either way, I'll have my gun ready." He winked before walking back inside.

**Before you review, read this!**

**Here are some of your thoughts right now: **

**I don't think Alice should have forgiven Carlisle so fast after what he did to her. **

**Answer: True, but Alice is trying to prove to Bella that things which happen in the past should stay in the past and you have to move on sometime. **

**I don't think Bella should have trusted Edward so easily. **

**Answer: She didn't want to trust him, but Alice moved on from her past and trusted her father again, so Bella feels like it's time for her to move on and give him another chance. **

**Mackynzie called Edward "daddy" really quickly. **

**Answer: Yes she did, and the reason for this is that she wanted to meet her "brothers" and she used it to her advantage to get what she wanted by being 'sweet and innocent'.**

**Mackynzie trusted Edward quickly just like Bella.**

**Answer: Yes, and there is a reason for that. She has never had a father before, and since she's only 5 and trusts her mom so much, she thinks it's okay to trust this man (and her doctor) who just told her he was her father. She looked to her mother and when she saw that her mother trusted him, she thought it was okay too. **

**I hope that answers some –if not all- of your questions/comments but this chapter was a very important part of the story. I want your honest opinion! I know I am probably going to lose readers because of the 'easy trust' issues in my story, but remember that this is FICTIONAL and exactly that; A STORY! **

**Leave your comments and thoughts as reviews. I would love to hear what you guys are thinking before I start the next chapter. How I begin the next chapter depends on your thoughts for this chapter. I need to know where to go next with this story. **

**Don't forget to join my facebook group. Link is at the TOP of the page. **

**Only ten more words to reach 7,000!**

**Love, **

**Maddison xo**


	10. Chapter 9

**I'm backk! After a long few weeks of midterms and power outages/evacuations, it's good to finally get a change to post my next chapter. **

**I'll keep this a/n short, i promise. Thanks to my amazing beta who edit this in 48 hours. You're amazing mommyof3boys! Also thanks to those who reviewed (you got your sneak peek)/faved/alerted! I'm almost at 100 reviews and super excited! :D**

**One last thing then you can start reading. **

**As all of you know I tried several times to make a facebook group where I could keep my readers up-to-date on what was happening, that didn't work out too well, so I decided to try blogging. **

**Here is the link to my blog: http:/forgottenmemoriesff (dot) blogspot (dot) com/**

****DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE THE WORD 'DOT'!****

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**(a) review = sneak peek of chapter 10**

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**Enjoy chapter 9! **

* * *

><p><strong>Edward's POV<strong>

I was all smiles as I walked back towards my house. My little girl accepted me as her father and I was absolutely over the moon! I just hope it goes that well with Ethan and Noah. They are used to sharing the attention, but I not sure how they are going to feel about sharing with their half-sister.

"Daddy, you're home." Noah squealed as he ran towards me. Ethan was close behind him. I gave both of them hugs and kisses before following them into the living room where Alice and Jasper was sitting on the couch watching cartoons.

One look at Alice and she knew everything went perfect. I nodded letting her know that I was happy. I grabbed the boy's hands and pulled them towards the couch. I told them to sit and they did while I sat on the chair next to them.

"Ethan, Noah, I have to tell you something very important and I want you to listen okay?"

They shared looked before looking back at me. Alice mouthed, "Go ahead" so I took a deep breath.

"We're not in trouble are we daddy?"

"No honey. Before you were born Daddy was with another lady. I found out last week that she had a little girl and that I'm her daddy too. The little girl's name is Mackynzie and she's 5 years old. I'm still going to be your daddy, but I'm going to have to give her attention too." I waited for their reaction.

"Cool! We have a big sister!" They both shouted at the same time causing me to let out a breathe I didn't know I was holding.

I laughed, "Yeah, you have a big sister."

"Can we meet her?" Noah asked.

"Yeah, you can meet her." I smiled; a huge weigh has been lifted off my shoulders.

Alice and Jasper smiled as I hugged the boys before heading to the kitchen to order our pizza. Sunday nights are always pizza nights at my parent's house, it became a tradition when we were kids and even years later we still order pizza on Sundays.

When I hung up the phone I felt a tiny hand on my pants.

"Daddy?" I looked down to see a curious-looking Ethan. I picked him up and placed him on the counter before answering him.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"If Mackynzie is our sister, do that mean her mommy is my and Noah's mommy too?" I tried to keep from frowning, but so see the look on my son's face and the unshed tears in his eyes, it just broke my heart.

"I don't know baby. When you meet your sister you can ask her okay?" I made sure to leave out the fact that Mackynzie's mom is also their daycare teacher.

"Okay daddy." I helped him back to the floor and he ran towards the living room.

I sighed as I ran a hand over my face; would Bella accept them as her kids?

The boys were kept busy playing with their toys and aunts and uncles while we waited for the pizza and soon after they were finished eating they lid on the couch and both passed out. Dad took Ethan and I took Noah upstairs and put them in their beds. They had a fun day with lots of surprises but I can say one thing; I'll always remember thanksgiving as the day I got my daughter back.

**Bella's POV**

"Mommy, please can I go to school?" Mackynzie whined for the tenth time that morning while I was getting ready for work.

"I'm sorry honey; Dr. Cullen said you have to stay home for a week. I know how much you want to go back to school."

"I miss all my friends mommy." She pouted and crossed her arms.

"I know honey, but next Monday is only 7 days and then you can go back to school. It will be here in no time, I promise."

"Okay, mommy." She sighed. All her little friends from school had made her cards and sent her gifts while she was recovering and she spent hours making Thank-you cards for them while she spent long days in the hospital.

"Don't worry sweetheart, I promise Monday will be here in no time and you can start school again." She pouted but gave me a kiss and hug anyway. "Mommy got to go to work, but I'll call you at dinner time okay?" She nodded and I walked out the door and towards my car.

I walked into the daycare and was greeted with the director.

"Oh, Ms. Swan, what a pleasure to have you back!" She hugged me when she reached me. I smiled; I was glad to be back.

"Thank you for understanding this whole situation. I was afraid I was going to lose my job!"

"Nonsense, you're one of our best teachers, why would we fire you?"

"That's a relief. Thankfully Mackynzie is out of the hospital and feeling back to her old self again."

"I was so sad to hear about her, but I know Dr. Cullen is one of the top surgeons at the hospital so she was in good hands." I nodded, unable to form words. Mackynzie had asked about him several times last night after he left the house; when is he going to come back, how long before she meet her brother, can she goes to his house, the list went on. Eventually around 12:30am I got her settled down from all the excitement.

I smiled as I said good-bye and headed into my classroom, taking a deep breath and remembering the smells I had missed so much.

I sat at my desk and just looked around the classroom as all the art on the walls. The kids have really grown up since I've been gone and it's something I'll be sure to see once I start doing activities with them.

About twenty minutes later I heard kids rush in the door. I stood from my desk and walked towards the classroom door, opening it and smiling at my students. I didn't realized how much I missed them until I saw them again.

They smiled back when they saw their teacher was back and gave me hugs before putting away their coats and bags and rushing to the toy corner. I watched them grab a toy and jumped a little when I heard a voice clear behind me. I turned around and staring back at me was none other than Edward Cullen.

Noah and Ethan grinned as they notice me standing in the doorway, they quickly said 'hi Ms. Bella' and 'bye Daddy' before rushing into the classroom and going to play with their friends.

"Hi Bella." Edward smiled. I didn't like how my body tingled at the sound of his voice.

"Hi Edward." I smiled back.

"So, 2 pm right?" He asked.

"Yeah, 2 pm."

"Okay, see you then."

"Bye." I said as I watched him walk out the main entrance.

20 minute later, all my students were in the classroom and I got their attention. They were all happy to see me back and each gave me a get-well card or a gift for my daughter.

I smiled and thanked each one of them before giving them each a cookie Mackynzie had help me make last night.

By the time noon rolled around the kids were eager to eat and go outside. I made sure they were finished their lunch before bundling them up and letting them run towards the playground. Although I love winter and snow, I was thankful that we never had any yet. The kids really enjoyed playing outside on the jungle jim and during the cold winter months they weren't able to do that. I watched the kids for a few more minutes before heading back inside to warm up. Just as I was entering the classroom, I heard my cellphone vibrating. I quickly rushed towards my purse and answer my phone out of breath.

"_Hi Bella, it's Edward."_

"Oh hi Edward, is..is something wrong?"

"_NO! I mean no, nothing is wrong. Um, I had today off and I was wondering if I could um-take Mackynzie um-"_

"Spit it out Edward." I laughed. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"_Sorry. I was wondering if I could take Mackynzie out for some father-daughter time."_ I didn't expect him to ask that, but it was nice to know that he was making an effort in getting back the missed time with _our_ daughter.

"Yeah, sure. She's at Emmett's house until I get off work. Did you tell your boys about her yet?" I know this wasn't the right place or time for this conversation but I was curious as to why they never said anything about Mackynzie –besides the gift- or me today.

"_Um yeah, I told them. Uh, Bella, would you like to go out some night; maybe Friday night, at 7 pm? We can talk about that then and I'll catch you up to speed on the whole situation."_

I took a deep breath and released it before smiling, "Sure, I'd love to." We weren't a couple, but it was a start of something that I would love to finish.

"_Great, see you in a few hours."_

"Okay, bye."

I heard him end the call on the other line while I sat at my desk with my phone still at my ear. He asked me out on a date. Edward Cullen –_the Edward Cullen-_ ask me, plain Bella Swan, on a date. I felt like a teenager in high school again as I stared at my phone, jumping slightly with I heard the lunch bell ring.

The rest of the afternoon past uneventful with the kids and before we know it the parents were here to pick them up. I was surprised to see Edward and Mackynzie walk in the door after the last parent and child –except Noah and Ethan- had left.

"Mommy!" She ran towards me and I scooped her into my arms. "I had the best day ever! Daddy took me to the zoo and to the park and to get ice cream and I had so much fun." I smiled as I hugged my daughter. It warmed my heart that Edward was making an effort to be in her life.

"Why did you call my daddy, 'daddy'?" I heard one of the twins asked from behind us. When I turned around I shared a look with Edward. He knew what he had to do.

"Noah, remember when I told you last night that I had a daughter? Well, Mackynzie is my daughter, and Bella is her mom. Boys, meet your older sister. Mackynzie, meet Noah and Ethan Cullen, your brothers."

The three children stared at each other before Noah excitedly told Mackynzie that he never had a sister before and Mackynzie told him that she never had any brothers or sisters.

"Ms. Bella do that mean that we call you mommy now?" Ethan asked me innocently. I stared at Edward who shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "We don't have a mommy." He added sadly.

I knelt down to his level, "I would love for you to call me mommy, you and Noah." I smiled at him as he registered my words and gave me a big hug.

"Daddy did you hear that? We have a daddy _and_ a mommy now!"

Edward nodded with a smile on his face, "I know buddy, I know."

Ethan looked at Noah and Mackynzie with a grin on his face, "race you to the toys!" The three of them took off towards the corner full of toys. _What just happened?_

I look at Edward who wouldn't make eye contact with me. When he finally did, he was smiling. "You didn't have to do that you know? They never knew their mom; she passed away when they were born."

"You can forward about being Mackynzie's father, even if it did take five years, so I figure it was the least I could do. They are young Edward; they are going to ask questions."

"That's what I was worried about you know? I didn't know how to explain to them why Mackynzie was calling me daddy, and they weren't calling you mommy. It is things like this that really made me choose my words and decisions wisely. I was afraid you were going to turn me away, I stayed awake at night wondering what life would be like if we had to find each other in bed that morning."

"Well, that's the past and we have our whole future ahead of us. You're off to a great start with Mackynzie and your boys are great. I haven't seen my little girl smile like that –ever. You made her smile Edward, and if she's happy then I'm happy too."

I stared at Bella for the longest time before I finally got the courage to speak.

"So, still up for that date on Friday night?" I smiled, hoping she would say 'yes'.

She nodded, "yeah."

"Great, I'll pick you up at seven?" She nodded again, and her cheeks turned a cute shade of pink.

"Momma I'm hungry." Mackynzie said as she walked towards us, the boys following close behind her.

"Well I guess we'll have to do something about that now, won't we?" Bella laughed as she knelt down to Mackynzie's level.

"Can we get pizza?" She asked while crossing her fingers and pouting. _That got me every time today. _Apparently Bella can't say 'no' to that face either as she reluctantly nodded her head while Mackynzie gave her a hug squealing 'thank-you mommy!'

"Can Daddy and Noah and Ethan and Uncle Emmy and Aunt Rosie and Le-Le come too?" She asked in one breath.

"Hold on there kiddo, we have to ask them first okay?" Bella said before noticing my gaze was directed at her.

"Why don't you come to the house and we can order in? Even ask Rosalie, Emmett and Le-le." Bella looked towards me shocked, as if she wasn't expecting me to offer her to come to my house. "Who's Le-le?" I added, trying to lighten the mood, but failing miserably.

"Le-le is my little cousin Liam!" Mackynzie said excitedly. "He's one!"

"I don't know Edward, inviting all of us is like asking the Brady Bunch into your home. Are you sure you can handle two wild children plus your own?"

I smiled "Of course I can, I lived with Alice and Charlotte. If I can handle two girls while they are going through PMS I can handle anything." Bella laughed.

"Okay, I guess two more kids won't be a huge difference. I still have to ask Emmett though so I might only be the two of us yet."

"I can ask my sisters and parents too if you want to meet them. Or if it's too soon I totally understand. But they might want to meet their granddaughter and niece for the first time." I left the statement hanging as I waited for her reaction. She looked towards me and I knew at that moment that I had gone a step too far, too soon. She shocked me when she smiled and nodded.

"If you are ready for this, then I am too. I meant what I said about trying Edward; I will try and let you be involved in your daughter's life, so far you have really impressed me." I smiled before calling the kids back over, they had wandered over to the toys again when Bella and I started talking.

"This means the world to me, and the kids get along great."

"I guess that's telling us something, huh?" Bella looked at me but quickly looked away again before I could study for face to tell what she meant by that.

"Come on sweetie, we have to go get ready if we are going over to Edward's house for pizza." Bella took Mackynzie up and walked towards the door as she said good-bye to us.

"Bella, how does six o'clock sound?"

She turned when she reached the door, "Perfect, see you then." I watched her and my daughter leave. I followed taking my boys in my arms and racing towards the door making them laugh.

Once we got home I called my parents and sisters to invite them over to the house. I told Alice what happened at Emmett's house and she told me she was so happy for me. She said that it will take a while for the boys to adjust to having a sister around but she assured me that Mac was a precious little girl and she would take care of her younger brothers just like she cares for Liam. I told her about the day I had with Mackynzie and how she smiled and thanked me when she saw we were at the zoo. Alice told me she was proud that I was getting to know my daughter and making up for the long five years of her life that I missed. She told me that she and Jasper will be over soon and she couldn't wait to hear all about my day with my daughter. I hung up the phone with a smile on my face.

When we arrived home Noah and Ethan jumped in their cars –which were parked by the door- and raced towards the living room. They watched T.V until I sung out and told them it was time to wash up because the pizza would soon be here. They paused their show and went to wash their hands.

-30 Minutes later-

I couldn't help myself as I stared out the kitchen window watching for Bella's car. My family agreed to come over to meet Bella, Mackynzie, Emmett, Rosalie and Liam but the pizza arrived five minutes ago and Bella still wasn't here.

"Edward, let's go eat, the boys are hungry." My mom said as she walked into the kitchen.

"She said she was going to come, mom. What made her change her mind? Maybe she finally came to her senses and decided to keep me from my daughter."

"Hush now, don't think like that. I'm sure there's a reason for her being late. Do you have her cell phone number, or Emmett's? You could call them and find out why they are not here yet, or tell them the pizza is here."

I reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone, quickly scrolling through my contacts to find Bella's number. I smiled when I saw Mackynzie's picture next to her name.

I turned to my mother and smiled, "Thanks mom, you always knows what to say." I gave her a hug and excused myself as I pressed Bella's name.

Three long rings went in before I heard her voice, _"Hello?"_ She sounded slightly out of breath.

"Hi Bella, its Edward."

"_Oh hi Edward, we are on our way but Liam decided he rather 'go potty' in the car after his mom just changed him, so Rose had to re-dress him. We are on our way though, I'm following Emmett since he has a GPS." _

"Oh good. I thought you decided to bail on me for a moment there." I laughed nervously.

"_Why would I do that? Mackynzie hasn't stopped talking about it since I told her where we were going." _She said is a hushed tone.

"Okay I guess I'll see you in a little bit."

"_Yep, bye."_ And with that, she ended the call. I sighed in relief as I walked back towards the living room where my family was seated waiting anxiously to eat the pizza.

"Bella, Mackynzie, Emmett, Rosalie and Liam are on their way so we can start eating as long as we save a pizza for them."

"Can I have two slices daddy?" Noah asked.

I laughed "you have to finish your first slice, and then you can get more, okay?"

He nodded and walked towards the pizza sitting on the coffee table.

Minutes after we had begun eating I heard two vehicles pulled into the driveway and three familiar voices outside. A soft knock echoed on the door and I excused myself to go answer it. Mackynzie was lid on Bella's shoulder and Liam on Emmett's. I laughed softly as I moved to invite them in.

"Sorry, Mackyznie fell asleep on the way over; I guess her day at the zoo tired her out." I smiled at Bella.

"You can put her in the den until she wakes up." I whispered.

"Momma, are we there yet?" Mackynzie asked with sleep in her voice. Bella smiled before sitting down on the chair next to her.

"Yeah sweetie, we're here now." She rocked Mackynzie back and forth while she waited for her to wake. After a few minutes Mackynzie opened her eyes and yawned. When she saw me standing next to Bella she raised her arms and said "daddy." Smiling I shrugged before taking her from Bella.

"Hi princess, did you have a good nap?" She nodded and snuggled into further into my neck. "Do you want some pizza? I ordered cheese just for you." I felt her smile.

"Okay." She answered with sleep in her voice. I smiled as I walked towards the living room where our families were sitting.

Once I got to the couch I sat down and turned Mackynzie around so she could eat her pizza and rest her head on my shoulder. Bella sat next to Rosalie with a messy Liam in her arms.

"Well hello cutie, you must be big sister Noah and Ethan has been telling me about. I heard so much about you." Charlotte said as she knelt down next to me and talked to Mackynzie. She nodded and continued to eat her pizza.

"This is my sister Charlotte, but Noah and Ethan call her Aunt Lolly and she's married to Peter, or Uncle Pebbles." Mackynzie giggled at the names and sat up further to talk to Charlotte.

"I'm Mackynzie." She said with a smile.

"Well Mackynzie, I'll have a surprise for you tomorrow, I didn't know I had a little niece. Is that okay?" Her eyes widened as she nodded; obviously not expecting any surprises.

"Mackynzie, I'd like you to meet your Nana Esme and Pop Carlisle. Mom, dad, Charlotte, Peter, this is my daughter Mackynzie, and her mom, Bella."

"Hi." Mackynzie whispered and buried her head in my shoulder again.

"You remember Emmett from the band we had years ago, well this is his wife Rosalie, and son Liam. Bella, Emmett, Rosalie, this is my parents, and my sister and brother in-law."

Everyone said their 'hellos' and we eat the rest of the pizza while talking comfortably to each other.

The night past quickly and soon I was saying my good-byes to my daughter. My sister and parents welcomed Bella's family with open arms, and Bella and her brother's family accepted them just as much. It was like we were meant to be a big happy family. Liam impressed everyone when he walked by himself for the first time without help, and became the center of attention. Mackynzie, Ethan, Noah, Peter, and Emmett played an intense game of Hide-and-seek. The kids –and Emmett- had so much fun running around the house, looking for good hiding spots. At one point, the kids were hid for a half hour before my father joined in on the fun and went to help find them. When they eventually came out they were laughing and bragging about how good they are at hide-and-seek. Emmett challenged them to another game on Christmas Day.

Once the kids settled back down Charlotte and Alice stood up with their partners by their sides. They both announced that they were pregnant with four babies; both of them were expecting twins. Everyone congratulated them and then Peter went on to say that they were planning a Christmas wedding and they wanted Noah, Ethan and Liam to be the ring bearers and Mackynzie and two of Peter's nieces to be the flower girls. The kids were thrilled to be a part of the wedding.

Charlotte asked Alice to be her maid-of-honour, and Bella and Rosalie to be bridesmaids. Peter asked Emmett and I to be groomsmen and Jasper to be his best-man since his brother wouldn't be able to make it to the wedding. Once the excitement wore off, the kids fell asleep watching a movie and before we knew it, it was late into the night. Emmett grabbed Liam and I grabbed Mackynzie and put them in the car.

When Bella came out of the house with Mackynzie's bag I had just closed the car door.

"Bella, this night has been amazing. Our families got along great and they really seemed to enjoy themselves. Thank-you again for doing this for me, and especially for my boys."

"Edward, I should be the one thanking you. Mackynzie has been smiling since she woke this morning. I don't think the smile has left her face the entire day! You have made her so happy and I can't thank you enough for doing that. It's only been two days and you have already captured my daughter's heart; it's like you've always been a part of her life." Bella smiled at me and was about to get in her car when I stopped her.

"So I guess this means that we are going on a date Friday night?"

"Yeah," she paused, "I guess it does." She opened her car door and backed out of the driveway, following closely behind Emmett. I watched her car disappear before returning to the house.

When I got back inside I noticed Noah and Ethan were missing from the living room floor.

"Mom, I thought the boys were going to your house tonight?" I said as I walked into the living room to find my parents on the couch.

"They looked so peaceful Edward, so we decided to spend the night here instead. It's ten o'clock and you said you wouldn't be getting home until around nine thirty tomorrow morning so we figured it'll be easier to get the boys ready for school here than take a bunch of stuff to our house. Peter and Charlotte are upstairs getting them dressed for bed."

"I didn't know we were going to have pizza tonight. Bella spoke about it when I went to pick the boys up from daycare and I invited her and Emmett over before I knew what I was saying."

Mom laughed "It's so good to see you smiling dear, that smile on your face mean the world to us. Ever since Elizabeth passed away your smiles never seem to reach your eyes. Even when you're babies said their first word, or took their first steps. I think you have always felt that a part of you was missing. But to see how Bella and Mackynzie have brought that smile back to your face means so much to us. She's a really great girl." I wasn't sure if my parents were talking about Bella or Mackynzie, but to hear them say that they accepted them into the family was enough to make me happy.

* * *

><p><strong>Amazing or what? <strong>

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	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello again my wonderful readers. Here is yet another chapter to add on to my story. This once has a lot of … well you'll find out soon enough. **

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**This is a long A/N so I'll stop here and let you read. Meet you at the bottom.**

**-Friday-**

**Bella's POV**

"W-X-Y-Z, now I know my A-B-C, next time won't you sing with me." The kids finished as I smiled at them and turned off the music.

"That was great! Now, it's almost home time, so we are going to have our snack and then get ready for home, okay? Ethan's table, you can go get your apple slices and juice boxes first." Ethan, Sarah, Jamie, and Ty quietly stood from their chairs, pushed them in and walked towards the counter where I had bags of apple slices and mini juice boxes ready for them.

Once they were all seated I instructed the next table to do the same. Thirty minutes later all the kids were sitting at their assigned tables finishing up the last of their snacks. Their parents would be here in about ten minutes and since it had snowed last night, all the kids came to daycare bundled up in warm winter clothes.

When they were done eating I got their attention again and told them to clean up then come get ready for home. Parents weren't coming for another ten minutes but when you have thirty children who all have coats, mitts, boots, hats, snow pants, and scarfs; it'll take ten minutes to get them ready.

I smiled as I heard the familiar knocks on the classroom door, I quickly went to open it and one by one the children left with their parents. I was surprised to see Carlisle pick up the boys instead of Edward.

"Bye Mommy." Noah and Ethan sang as they grabbed their pop's hand and walk out of the classroom. I couldn't help the smile that broke out on my face every time I heard them say the word 'mommy'.

Eventually two thirty came and it was time for me to go see my little girl. When I got to Emmett's house I was as excited to see her and she was just as excited to see me.

"Mommy, you're home." She smiled and ran to give me a hug.

"Hi princess, did you have fun today?" She shook her head sadly.

"Lele is sicky mommy. He was in bed all day! Me and Uncle Em watched cartoons and Aunt Rosie took Lele to the hostable to get better." I followed Mackynzie to the living room where Emmett was asleep on the couch.

"Uncle Emmie, mommy is home." He quickly gasped and opened his eyes. He looked at Mackynzie before grinning sheepishly at me.

"Sorry, I never got much sleep last night, Liam had a fever." I nodded as I sat down next to him.

"That's what Mackynzie said, are they home from the hospital yet?"

"Um, yeah, Rose had to bring him back though, his fever spiked and she couldn't get it back down. Turns out he caught a nasty bug."

"Maybe I should cancel my date with Edward then. I mean, if Liam is sick, I don't expect you and Rose to watch out for Mackynzie as well."

"Nonsense Bells, she's the best little girl ever and a great helper to us. She won't be a problem, go have fun on your date." He winked behind Mackynzie's back who was watching 'My Little Pony' again.

I laughed as I turned to watch her show with her. Emmett fell back to sleep and two hours later Rose arrived home with a sick little boy. Poor little Liam looked so pale and fragile that it broke my heart to see him like this.

"Hey Rose, what did the doctor say?" I asked her when she came down from putting her son to bed.

"His temp has gone down but I have to watch him closely through the night. The doctor said he caught a nasty bug which is why he's been having cramps and rejecting his food lately. I should've notice the signs right away. It was the same thing Mackynzie went through when she was one and a half. Remember that night you took her to the hospital and demanded she see a doctor right away?"

I laughed and nodded my head, at the time it felt like the right thing to do. The next day I went back to the hospital to find the nurse I had been such a jerk too. She told me not to worry about it and I was forgiven. She said I wasn't the only crazy parent she had to deal with when it came to protecting their kids.

That night we ordered take-out because the three of us weren't up to making anything. A long day at work had me worn out, especially when the kids begged me to take them outside so they could play in the snow. How could I say 'no' to thirty of the cutest 'puppy dog faces' I'd ever saw. In the end I gave in and took them outside in the snow. They came in soaking wet but smiling ear to ear.

Eventually seven pm had arrived and I heard that familiar knock on the door. Emmett being the 'older protective brother' literally ran to answer it. Rose had taken Mackynzie upstairs to give her a bath when Edward came to pick me up for our date. I told Mackynzie that I was going out for a few hours but she was having a sleepover with Aunt Rosie and Uncle Em. She was upset at first but when I told her that they were going to play games, eat popcorn, and watch lots of movies, she warmed up a little to the idea.

I listened in as Emmett opened the door but didn't hear him speak right away.

"_Hi Bella, you look lovely tonight. Hello Bella, how are you? Hey Bella, here's a rose. Come-on Edward, think." _

"Could you hurry it up? It's getting chilly." Emmett's booming laugh echoed the porch.

"_Oh, hi Emmett. Is-is, um, Bella re-ready?"_ Emmett laughed again.

"You sound like a teenager dude. She's in the living room. Come in." I heard him thank Emmett and the door closed softly behind him.

I took a deep breath before walking around the corner. Edward did a double-take and I felt my blush creeping onto my cheeks.

"Hi." I smiled while he stared at me.

"Um, hi. Y-you look," he cleared his throat, "You look beautiful tonight Bella."

"Why thank you, you're not looking too bad yourself." I winked at him.

He smiled, all awkwardness forgotten. "Ready to go?" I nodded and grabbed his outstretched hand. He handed me a beautiful red rose, which I smelled and passed to Emmett.

"Can you put this in some water, please?"

He nodded before looking at Edward, "Have her home by twelve, if you're late, be prepared to meet my shot gun."

"Emmett!" I gaped at him as Edward quickly steered me out the door and towards his car. I couldn't help but laugh at his reaction.

I didn't know where Edward had planned on taking me that night and I was a little excited when we pulled up to a fancy restaurant just outside Settle.

"Edward, this looks expensive, can't we go to a nice cheap restaurant instead?"

"Nope." He said, popping the 'p' as he jumped out of the car and ran around to my door, opening it for me. I smiled as he offered me his hand like a true gentleman. He handed his keys off to a man nearby who was waiting at the entrance. "That's my baby; don't let anything happen to her." The man quickly nodded his head before accepting the keys and walking towards the car.

"Was that necessary?" I laughed as we walked inside.

"I like that car." Edward smiled as we walked towards the host.

"Name?" He asked, never looking up from his book.

"Cullen." Edward said and the host quickly raised his head and straightened his jacket.

"I'm sorry sir, right this way." The host led us up a set of stairs to a private room. All the walls were glass and the view of the starry night was amazing.

"Wow Edward, this is amazing. You didn't have to do this you know; some take-out would have been fine."

"I know but I wanted to." He winked and pulled out my chair for me. He ordered a bottle of champagne and looked towards me.

"I knew you had a lot of questions, which is why I asked for a private room. My brother-in-law owns the restaurant, so I don't have to pay a dime to eat here."

A simple 'oh' was all I could manage to get out.

"Bella, I want us to start from the beginning. All the way back to that night of the concert. When I saw you that night I knew you were the one for me. You had a certain glow about you that made me smile. I didn't know Alice would be my adopted sister and I had no idea Emmett had a little sister. When we arrived at the bar you were convinced that you weren't drinking but who can say 'no' to Alice? One drink led to another and before I knew it, you could barely stand up. I had a few myself but when I saw you could barely produce a word, I knew it was my responsibility to look after you."

"Okay you can stop right there. What do you mean, _'I knew it was my responsibility to look after you'_? You had no right to take me back to _your _house and let me sleep in _your_ bed. Especially when I was loaded drunk! I had Alice and Emmett to take care of me; I had only just met you that night!"

"Bella please, let me finish." With a dramatic sigh I let him continue but I didn't like where this night was headed.

"Emmett had gone off with Rose and Alice was drunk also. Jasper took full responsibility of Alice and Emmett asked me to make sure you got home safely. There was one problem; I didn't exactly know where you lived. Alice was sober enough to give Jasper directions but they were gone before I realized you had passed out in the limo we had hired that night. I panicked and took you straight to my house."

"That still doesn't explain how we had _sex_." I was on edge as he continued this part of the story, in which I had no memory of.

"Please, let me finish?" he almost begged.

Just as he was about to continue, a tall waitress with fiery red hair walked into the room. She turned to Edward, completely ignoring me.

"What can I get you handsome?" She asked him seductively.

"_We _would like tonight's special." I spoke up. "Isn't that right, _honey_?"

"Yes, _sweetheart_, two specials and another bottle of champagne. Oh, and please send up _my brother_, I'm pretty sure he's working here tonight."

The waitress whose nametag said 'Victoria' gapped at him. "All of our employees are busy tonight. They do not attend to _family members_ while working."

"Really? I am positive that Peter is downstairs tonight. Should I call him myself, _Victoria_?" Her mouth fell open before she caught herself.

"No sir, I'm sure that won't be necessary, I'll get him right away." She turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

"You nearly gave the girl a heart attack. I'm proud of you." I smiled at him. He gave me a small smile back before looking back at the table.

"Do you want me to finish the story? Or would you rather not let me ruin your night?"

"Please finish. You won't ruin this night, I promise." I gave him the best smile I could, urging him to continue.

"Once we got back to my house, I carried you towards the guest bedroom. That's when you decided to wake up. You practically jumped from my arms and pulled me towards my bedroom as best you could in your drunken state. I pleaded with you to stop and get some water then go to bed but you wouldn't let go of me and I didn't want to hurt you. When you started taking your clothes off, I couldn't help myself. I'm a man and you looked beautiful. You had me under your spell when you invited me into the bed and as much as I knew it was wrong and had to stop, once you got a hold of me, I couldn't move. I was afraid I would hurt you if I tried to get away."

I stared at him with my mouth open, "Are you trying to tell me that _I _seduced you while I was _drunk_? Edward, are you blaming _me_ for having sex?" My anger my boiling over as I waited for his answer. How dare he tell me this? He knew as well as I did that he could've easily had away from me. I was drunk for crying out loud!

"Yes, I mean no, Bella, we were both to blame. I was partially drunk too!"

"I don't care Edward, that's still no excuse! You know I can't remember any of this and I was much smaller than you, you could've easily sent me to bed in the other room."

"I know and I didn't and I feel so stupid. It's no excuse and I wish we could turn the clock back to that night and start over."

When I didn't speak he started his story again.

"Long story short, we were both too drunk to realize what was happening as we got in the bed. The next thing I remember is waking up next to you, thinking it was a dream I closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes again, you were gone. I thought it was a dream Bella! I'm so so sorry." I didn't say anything, just stared at the table, absorbing all this information. "Bella, please say something, anything."

"How about two things? You Bastard!"

**Edward's POV**

I sat across from the woman who gave me a little girl and poured my heart out to her, only to get punched in the gut.

"What?" I stared at her wide-eyed.

"You heard me, or would you like me to repeat it again." That snapped me out of my trance.

"Bella, I just poured my heart out to you. I told you what had happen that night years ago. I've been practicing what to say to you since I found out you had gotten pregnant and I could possibly be the father. Why are you so upset?"

"Seriously, Edward? You accused me of seducing _you_ while I was drunk and more or less forced you to have sex."

"I didn't sa-"

"Yes you did. I'm sick of listening to your bullshit Edward. You blamed me for our daughter. Do you even want her in your life? Or was it just an excuse to get closer to me? Huh?"

"What are you talking about Bella? I never accused you of anything! I'm thrilled that I have a little girl. I couldn't be happier. Even my boys have a smile on their face, which I have never seen before and _you_ put that smile there Bella. You told them they could call you 'mommy'. You have only just met us and you have already accepted them as your children."

"They looked so heartbroken when they asked me, I wasn't about to say 'no' to them, Edward! Besides, they haven't done anything to me." I added the last part in a whispered tone. Crossing my arms, I stood from the table and walked over to one of the glass walls.

I heard Edward sigh before he stood up too. "Bella please, this whole night was for us to talk about what happened between us. You said yourself that it was time to move on. We're both adults here; can't we talk in a grown-up manner? Please?"

I ignored him and continued to watch the traffic below on the busy streets. I felt his hand on my shoulder which caused me to jump and turn around to face him. I studied his emotions carefully. I knew in my heart that I shouldn't be mad at him. Sure he never said anything for five years but he told me he thought it was a dream, that's believable, isn't it?

"Bella please, talk to me, I can't read your mind. Please tell me what you're thinking right now." We started at each other for what felt like hours.

I sighed, "Alright Edward, I'll let you finish. I still don't like the way you said that _I _was the reason we had sex but whatever. Continue before I run out of patience and change my mind." A small smile formed on his face. He offered his hand and after a few seconds I placed mine in his. He led me back to the table and we both sat down.

"You don't understand how difficult this is for me. I'm sorry it came out the way it did, I never blamed you for that night, ever. I was just so confused why I woke up in an empty bed that had obviously been slept in by two people. I wish you had to stay that morning, I really do."

We were getting nowhere with this, "Edward, the last thing I remember from that night was talking to Alice. I woke up the next morning and I was laid next to you, of course I panicked and of course I ran. If you woke up next to a complete stranger after having no idea what happened the night before, wouldn't you feel like running away and hiding?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"See, can you imagine how scared I felt when I woke up that morning? The scenarios running through my head were wild."

"I guess I understand where you're coming from but you should've stayed and we could've talked."

"There you go again! Blaming me for something I had no control over."

"Bella, what I meant-"

"Save your breath, I know exactly what you meant. I was scared okay? My first instinct was to run! If you knew what happened the night before, then why didn't you find me? I searched _everywhere_ for the father of my little girl, all _day and all night, everyday_! You don't know how many times I wished I knew what happened that night."

"Bella-" It was then I realized I was crying. I wiped my tears away and stood up.

"I'm leaving. Goodbye Edward."

"Bella! Bella, wait." I felt his arm grab my elbow and what felt like an electric shock went through my body.

"Edward. Let. Me. Go." I tried to wiggle my arm out of his grasp but it was just too tight.

"Why won't you listen to me Bella?"

"Listen to you blaming me for more things I did wrong that night? No thank you. I'm calling Alice to come get me. Let me go."

"I'm not letting you go until we talk this out."

"We tried that Edward and it gets worst each time. Please let me go so I can go home."

"Bella, I never blamed you for anything that night. I searched forever for you but it seemed you had just disappeared. Ask my parents; ask my sister, they will tell you how long I spent driving the streets in search of you. I wanted to make things right between us. I even called Emmett and do you know what he told me? That he hasn't spoken to you in forever that he didn't know where you were to. But you told me that Emmett had played a major part in helping you raise Mackynzie, which means you were with him the entire time."

"Oh so you're blaming this on Emmett now?" My anger was starting to resurface as he continued talking.

"No, no Bella just listen to me, please. I blamed myself for what happened that night. I should've made you sleep in another bed; I should've made you sober enough to explain the situation. We should've never had sex and although I don't regret you giving me a daughter, the guilt of making you raise her alone will always be with me. I never knew you were pregnant until I spoke to Emmett one night and I wasn't about to walk up to your door unannounced and tell you that I am your daughter's father, especially when your brother had just threaten to kill the person that hurt his baby sister.

"After he told me you had gotten pregnant, I spent every spare moment searching for you and your daughter. When I saw you in the hospital, it was just the icing on the cake. I thought I was seeing things and no matter how often I tried to talk myself out of believing you were actually the girl I met 6 years ago, I just couldn't do it. I knew it my heart it was you. It's a difficult situation but we'll get there eventually and I would really like to start with us. If the kids see us getting along, don't you think they would understand the situation a whole lot better?"

Bella sighed before standing up again, "As much as I would love to stay here and listen to you accuse me one minute, then apologize and explain it from your perspective the next, I have a daughter to get home to and you have your sons. Let's just call it a night, please?"

"Bella-"

"Edward, just stop. I'm calling Alice and she will come get me. Good night Edward."

I watched her walk out of the room and closed the door behind her. _What have I done?_ I realize then that I should've kept my big mouth shut. I knew I had to fix this.

I ran after her and saw her brown hair go around the bottom of the stairwell. I shouted her name but she didn't stop so I willed my legs to move faster.

I saw her again as she was about to exit the restaurant. _This could be my last chance._ I ran outside and look left and then right. That's when I saw Bella shivering from the cold November air as she waited for Alice on a bench outside the restaurant.

"Bella, please come back inside. I'm sorry for the way I started off the night, I regret it and really wish I could start the night over. I had to open my big mouth and ruin the evening for us. Please, please, come back inside, or at least let me drive you home." She didn't answer me right away but I heard the unmistakeable sound of her crying.

I sat next to her on the bench, hesitantly took her cold hands in mine. I rubbed them together, trying to warm her up if she wouldn't listen to me and come back inside.

"T-th-thank y-you." I could see the fog rise and disappear into the air from her breath. Slowly, not wanting to startle her, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and gently helped her to her feet. Once she was stable, I led her back into the warm restaurant.

I led her to a near-by empty table close to the window in case she wanted to watch for Alice. I knew she was mad at me and I understood that I should've taken it slower but once I started, the words kept flowing.

"Please Bella, talk to me, and tell me what you're thinking."

She looked up at me with red, puffy eyes. She looked around the restaurant and when she noticed there were only a few couples left, she looked back towards me.

"You want to know what I'm thinking. I'm thinking I should've never agreed to go on a date with you. When you said you wanted to talk, we should've met for lunch or coffee but going on a date was never something we should've done. I'm not rethinking my decision of letting you in your daughter's life but I'm having second thoughts of letting you in mine. Maybe this was too soon, too fast but you did the right thing by coming after me, which gave you a few points back." When she locked eyes with me for the second time, I notice she was smiling a tiny bit. It made me smile because it helped me have that much more hope that we can actually be happy together.

"Is Alice actually coming to get you?" She let out a little laugh but shook her head.

"Trust me; Alice is the last thing I need to deal with tonight."

"Are you still up for some food, or would you rather just call it a night and go home?" Afraid of her answer, I looked at interesting pattern on the table.

"You're the driver, you make the decision. Food sounds awesome right now though." She left the comment hanging.

"We don't have to go back upstairs, right here is fine, but that's totally up to you."

"We can go back up, considering I fell in love with the amazing view."

I laughed before offering her my hand. She looked at it for a few seconds and I slowly brought it back to rest at my side. I never quite reached it though, because a small hand gripped mine. I looked up and saw Bella shrug before she pointed to the stairs and told me to lead the way.

Once we sat down again, it only took a few minutes for our food to arrive. We ate in silence but it was the uncomfortable awkward kind. After we were both finished, I led Bella to my car without a word. It was obvious that she was still upset with me and I would have to be patient to get to her heart.

When I pulled into her brother's driveway I turned the car off and faced her.

"I really am sorry for being such a jerk tonight Bella. I promise I'll make it up to you somehow."

She gave me a small smile, "Goodnight Edward." She opened the car door and entered the house. With a sigh and a heavy heart I drove back to my house where my kids were waiting.

**-Monday-**

I dropped Ethan and Noah off at daycare and the first thing I noticed was Bella never once made eye-contact with me. I didn't want to address the situation in front of the children, so I kissed my kids and left the daycare.

Once in my office I took out my phone and texted Bella.

_I'm sorry. –E_

I honestly didn't know what else to say. We never spoke after our date on Friday and when the boys asked me about my date, I told them I had fun. I wasn't about to make my problems their problems too. They are just children and they don't deserve to be caught in the middle of adult issues.

_Sorry? For what? –B_

_Everything. –E_

_Please don't be. Friday night is behind me, promise –B_

_I'm still upset by my actions. They were inexcusable –E_

_They are behind us. –B_

I took a deep breath before typing the next text.

_What do you think about going on another date with me Wednesday night? No talking about the past, just the present (and future). No fancy restaurant this time either. Just dinner and a movie. I promise. What do you say? –E_

After staring at my phone for 10 minutes, I realized I had a job to do and patients that needed their doctor. I let out a sigh before putting my phone back in my bag and walking out of my office.

By lunch time I was constantly checking my phone for a new text from Bella. At exactly 12:30pm I got the text I've been waiting for all day.

_Only if you cross your heart. –B_

I felt like doing a happy dance but kept my cool. I couldn't believe what she had just agreed to. After everything that happened Friday night, she agreed to go out with me again.

The rest of the day passed quickly and I couldn't wait to get home to plan a fun outing with my boys. I had no work the following day, so I told them after daycare was over I would take them somewhere fun. When they heard about how I took Mackynzie to the zoo, they asked me every day to take them. Since we got a layer of snow, I couldn't exactly say 'yes' but I did promise them I'd take them somewhere exciting that they'll love.

When I picked them up at 2pm they were bouncing with excitement.

"Where are we going daddy?" Noah asked.

"Please tell us dad!" Ethan whined right after.

I looked back at them in the mirror. "There's a bag next to you in the middle seat, look in it and see if you can guess."

I watched their expressions as then unzipped the bag as best they could in their excitement.

"WE'RE GOING SKATING!" They both shouted in excitement. I nodded and laughed at their expressions.

"I promised we would do something fun. And you have only been skating a few times, since you got new skates for your birthday I figured we'd try them out."

"Thank you daddy." Noah and Ethan said in unison. I smiled and started the car.

Once we got to the skating rink and stepped on the ice, I realized I had my hands full. I've haven't been skating in years, so when you combine that with two four year olds would could barely stand up straight, I came to a quick conclusion that I wasn't thinking when I planned this day.

After a few laps with their 'helpers' –or a kid walker as the boys had called it- they were skating around the ice by themselves; granted they fell down too many times to count. They were wet and cold by the time we got off the ice but I was glad they had fun. After getting them in dry clothes, I drove to the nearest _Tim Hortons_ and ordered a small hot chocolate each for the boys and a coffee for myself.

By the time we got back home, the boys were asleep and their half empty hot chocolates were cold and long forgotten about. I grabbed both of them from the back seat of the car and carried them to their rooms. After tucking them in I walked back to the car and grabbed the bag and garbage. While I was outside getting the things from the car, I couldn't shake the feeling like I was being watched. I shook it off as being paranoid and went back into the house to start cooking supper.

Little did I know, what was about to come would change our lives forever.

**Bella's POV**

"Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy." Mackynzie said as she played with Liam on the floor in our living room. The first time I heard her said it, I rushed into the living room thinking something was wrong until she explained to me they she was teaching Liam new words. She was the teacher and Liam was the student.

"Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma!" Liam echoed her.

I laughed at them as I continued to prepare supper for us. Emmett and Rose went back to work once Liam was feeling himself again and after daycare, I took both the kids over to my house while they went to work. Mackynzie loved being back in Kindergarten and told me all about her exciting day. Her teacher, Alice, had made her a 'Welcome Back' cake and they kids threw her a surprise party. It was obvious that they all missed her.

"Lele, say Da-de."

"Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma." Mackynzie giggled as she tried to teach Liam new words. The only words he could say were 'Ma' and 'Ne'. Emmett was bummed when –no matter how hard we all tried- Liam wouldn't say 'Da'.

"No Lele, you have to say Da da."

"Ma, ma, ma." Liam screeched excitedly.

I looked at the clock and notice it was close to five already. I finished the last of the dessert I was making and called the kids to the kitchen.

"Yeah, mommy?" Mackynzie asked as she helped Liam walk into the kitchen.

"Can you get yours and Liam's coat, hat and mitts for me, please?" We have to go over to Uncle Em's house and drop Liam off. Then we are staying for supper."

"Okay mommy!" She sat Liam on the floor and then ran to get the items from the hall closet. She loved helping out, so I asked for her help every chance I got.

As I carried Liam to the car, I couldn't help but look around the woods surrounding the house. It felt as if we were being watched. I quickly shook it off, concluding that I was just being paranoid, and buckled the kids into the car.

Little did I know, what was about to come would change our lives forever.

**A/N: Dun, Dun, Dunnnnn! So, was if enough drama for the seemingly happy couple? I warned you there would be twist and turns down the pathway of love. We'll see what happens in chapter 11. **

**I forgot to add the Disclaimer at the top, but I'm sure you all know by now I'm not Stephanie Meyer.**

**I know you are all dying to read chapter 11, so I'll make you a deal; **

**If you can give me at least 10 reviews, I'll update in 6 days (Friday, March 16****th****). **

**If you can give me at least 15 reviews before Monday, March 11****th****, I will post the next chapter (as long as my beta has it done and sent back) by at least Tuesday, March 12****th****. I know my beta does her best to send it back fast, but she has commitments' too. Either way I'll have the chapter done by 12am Monday, March 12****th****, and sent to my beta. I know I have a lot of readers, just not a lot of reviewers. So anyone who reviews will get a 300 word review (half a page) as a thank-you. **

**Even if it's just a smiley face. **

**:) or :D or =) or =}D **

**Make me smile, **

**- Maddie 0X**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: WOW! I can't believe my readers. 17 reviews! I love you guys sooooo much! I promise to keep this author's note short and to the point because I have an exam to study for and because I just wrote a midterm and I'm really tired. (The chocolate mocha and candy isn't helping either!) **

**A huge thank-you to Mommyof3boys who edit this chapter in less than 24 hours! **

**Also a thank-you to all my reviewers (and readers, and favourite-ers, and alert-ers)! I know I told you that you would get a sneak peek, but since I sent them right before I posted this chapter, you'll probably end up reading this first. So, on that note, anyone who reviewed chapter 10 (until I post chapter 11) will get a sneak peek regardless of if you review this chapter or not (but it would be nice =] ). **

**That's all I had to say really. Lots of things happening in this one. And I should warn you, there's a major cliff-hanger at the end so please don't kill me. **

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Bella's POV<strong>

**-Tuesday-**

_Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep!_ I reached my hand over to smack the clock. Last night we were late leaving Emmett's and just the thought of getting up early made me groan. I knew I eventually had to get up though, if not the both of us would be late. I waited for the alarm to go off again before getting up. It didn't take long for the annoying sound to start again. I reached my hand over and shut it off again before sitting up in the bed with my eyes closed.

I let out a small laugh when only seconds later my phone began to ring. I opened my eyes and grabbed it off the nightstand before flopping back down in my bed.

I cleared my throat before answering it, "Hello?"

"_Please hold for an important message from Jefferson Elementary School." _There were several beeps before I heard the voice of the principal, Mary Randall, _"Due to the current weather, Jefferson Elementary will be closed for the morning. There will be a further update at 11am. If you have any questions please call. Thank-you."_

I ended the call and, like a child on Christmas morning, I jumped up to look out the window to see that it was indeed snowing. The snow from the days before had multiplied ten-fold. There was at least six inches of freshly fallen snow on the ground.

I lay back in my bed and waited for another call from the daycare center. Sure enough, five minutes later the phone rang again and, sure enough, the daycare was closed for the morning with an update at 10am.

I looked at the clock and changed the alarm to 9am. That would give me two extra hours of sleep and plenty of time to cook breakfast for me and Mackynzie.

* * *

><p><em>It was like my world was moving in slow-motion as I watched my little girl fall to the ground. I screamed –at least I think I did- for Mackynzie, for Edward, for Emmett; anyone to come help my baby! I struggled with all my might but it was no good, his grip was just too tight.<em>

_Edward came around a group of trees which was blocking him, wearing a smirk on his face. "Tied her up Peter." He threw some rope towards the man who I considered to be my brother._

"_Peter please, you don't have to do this. Don't listen to him, let me help Mackynzie! Please, Peter!" He laughed and forced me to my knees. "Edward, why?"_

_He walked closer to me and brushed my cheek with his hand, "Did you really think I loved you? I didn't come looking for you for a reason. I had the love of my life all along. Vicky helped my plan the entire thing out, and you were stupid enough to fall into my trap. Now she can have her own little girl."_

_He smiled lovingly at Mackynzie's lifeless body. "You killed her! She's dead, Edward. Our little girl is dead and it's your entire fault! You killed her you monster."_

_He patted my cheek before standing up, "Shut her up too, I don't want to listen to her wine the entire night." He walked towards Mackynzie and picked her up. It was only then I noticed the rise and fall of her chest. __She's alive, my baby girl is alive!_

"_Come on sweetheart, time to get you to your new home." Peter whispered in my ear as he threw me over his shoulder. I couldn't see Mackynzie and Edward anymore, and I started to panic. '__This is it, I'm going to die.'_

"_Mommy!" It was Mackynzie, she is alive. I struggled to get out of Peter's grip. _

"Mommy!" _Her voice, it sounded so real, but I couldn't see her, everything around me had changed into a black shadow._

* * *

><p>"Mommy!"<p>

I felt myself jerk and I opened my eyes. I looked around and noticed I was in my own bed, at my own house. It had all been a dream, a horrible, horrible dream. When I heard Mackynzie screaming _'Mommy!'_ I quickly jumped out of bed and noticed right away that the hall nightlight was turned off. It wasn't completely dark but since it was early in the morning there wasn't much light to see. I got to Mackynzie's room in record time and noticed her sitting on her bed with the blankets wrapped around her body, right up to her chin, and tears streaming down her little face.

I ran towards her and cradled her in my arms. "What's wrong sweetie? Why are you crying?" I asked franticly.

"I-it-it's da-da-dark mo-mom-mommy." She said quietly as the sobs shook her little body.

I looked over at her Dora clock and noticed that the screen was black.

_Hmm, the power must have flicked off. _

"It's okay honey, mommy's here now. It's snowing a lot and the power's gone."

"Ok-okay mom-mommy." She mumbled into my chest as she held me tightly. She was still crying but slowly calming down.

"Come with mommy, we'll call Uncle Em, okay?" She nodded and I grabbed her Dora fleece throw and wrapped it around her before taking her hand and walking downstairs. Since the power went out, we had no heat, so the house was cooling off at a rapid pace.

I grabbed the phone from the kitchen counter and sat us both on the couch. Just as I was about to dial my brother's number, the phone rang causing me to drop it on the blanket which we were wrapped in. Mackynzie giggled as I grabbed the phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

"_Um, hi Bella. I was just calling to see if you have any power or heat."_ Edward. I sighed quietly before answering.

"No, we lost the power sometime this morning. Do you still have power?"

"_No, but we have an emergency generator connected to the house if you and Mackynzie wanted to come over to stay warm." _

Just as I was about to answer I heard a low _'beep, beep, beep'_ signaling that there was another caller.

"I have a another call, can you hold for a minute?"

"_Yeah, sure." _I took the phone away from my ear and pressed _answer _than placed it back.

"Hello?"

"_Hey Bella, we're going down to the emergency shelter the fire department has set up in the basement of the church. We lost our heat and the generator is unfortunately still in the box in the shed."_

I heard Rose grumble in the background before talking sweetly to a fussy Liam.

"Actually, Edward is on the other line, he has an emergency generator hooked up to his house. I could see if you can come with us."

"_I don't know Bella." _He trailed off.

"If he says 'no' then you can pick us up on your way over to the church, okay? Give me two minutes and I'll call you back."

I didn't wait for his reply before pressing the _answer _button again and going back to Edward.

"_No, Ethan, put that down! Noah, don't touch that. Boys!"_

"Um, hi again."

Edward cleared his throat before answering, _"Oh, hi Bella."_

"We'll come over. We have no power and we're cuddling on the couch to keep warm. Would you mind if my brother comes over too?"

"_No, not at all! We have plenty of room. Do you or Emmett have snow tires? Peter has a jeep, so he can come get you if you want."_

"Thanks but my brother insisted on a jeep when Liam was born. He can drive us over. Tell Peter we said thanks for the offer though. I'll take some food with me so we're not a huge burden on you. I know that the malls are closed because of the weather."

"_Don't worry about food Bella; we have a basement full of food in case of emergencies._"

"Okay, if you're sure."

"_Positive. Make sure you bundle up. It's snowing a lot out there." _I felt my cheeks heat up.

Yesterday after Edward had dropped his kids off to daycare, he texted me apologizing for the millionth time since Friday night. I felt bad for him, so I gave in and texted him back while I waited for more kids to show up. I put my big girl panties on and told him it was behind us. Friday night when I came home I was faced with an angry Emmett.

_Flashback – Friday night._

_When we pulled into my brother's driveway Edward turned the car off and faced me. _

"_I really am sorry for being such a jerk tonight Bella. I promise I'll make it up to you somehow."_

_I gave him a small smile, "Goodnight Edward." I opened the car door and entered the house. With a sigh and a heavy heart I leaned against the door until I heard him drive away. I kicked off my boots, debating whether or not I should just spend the night on the couch and walked face-first into a wall; except when I felt large hands grip my shoulders to keep me from falling flat on my bottom, I realized the 'wall' was Emmett. _

"_Oh, hi Em." I went to walk around him into the kitchen but couldn't move since he still had his hands on my shoulders. _

"_How did the date go Bella?" He asked in a curious tone, as if he knew the answer already. _

_I sighed before answering, "Alright, I guess. Can I go to the kitchen now? I want a glass of water and then I'm going to bed. Ugh, I hate wine." I hadn't realized how fast I was drinking the wine until the waiter asked me if we would like another bottle. I guess the argument with Edward over _our_ daughter had taken up my attention and I hadn't realized I was drinking the alcohol. _

"_Bella, what do you mean by 'fine'? Did he hurt you?"_

_I slowly shook my head, feeling the alcohol once more. "No, we just… we had…it was just…we had an argument, okay?" I shrugged out of Emmett's grasp and sat on the bench near the door. "He decided to start the date with telling me his side of the story the night we conceived Mackynzie. Except 'his side' of the story, was basically him blaming me for being intoxicated and forcing him to have sex. Since I couldn't remember anything from that night, I couldn't defend myself." _

"_That bastard! Wait until I see him again-"_

"_No, Emmett Charles Swan, you will not touch him, do you understand? This is my fight, my battle, not yours. We will talk this out, eventually, as mature responsible adults. I'm not a little kid anymore Em, you can't fight my battles for me."_

"_You're right Bells, I'm sorry. Being the older brother I get a little protective sometimes."_

"_A little protective? Please, do you remember that time Tyler asked me to the Valentine's dance in seventh grade? You broke his nose Emmett! The poor guy was out of school for weeks and after that he wouldn't look at me. I heard Kim say something about he was afraid to look at me because he didn't know if you were lurking in the shadows or something." _

_Emmett laughed with a hand over his mouth, obviously trying to avoid waking his wife and the kids. _

_I laughed as I gave him a hug and then walked in the kitchen to get a glass of water so I could get some sleep. _

_End of Flashback_

"Come on snuggle bug, we're going to Ed-Daddy's house. He has lights and lots of heat."

Mackynzie shivered again and moved closed before turning her head to look up at me. It gave me the courage to face Edward if it meant my little girl was warm.

"Really, mommy?" I nodded. "Uncle Em said that you are daddy had a 'spit' and were mad." I sighed and shook my head.

"I think you mean 'spat' honey and your dad and I are just fine." Her eyes lit up a little when she spoke again.

"Does that mean you and Daddy are going to get married? Can I be the bride-helper? I don't want to be a flowerpicker girl like Uncle Em's wedding because I'm a big girl now. Liam can be the ring bringer, oh, and Ting one and Ting two (she told me Noah and Ethan looked so much alike that she couldn't tell the difference between them, she asked them if it was alright to call them thing one and thing two; they loved it) can be the men of the groom. Then you can have another girl with daddy and she can be the flowerpicker girl with Liam! Can the wedding be pink and purple and blue and orange and red and yellow because Rainbow Dash is all different colours! Can there be ponies too?"

"Whoa there, little girl, one thing at a time please. First of all, we're not getting married because we're just … well we're not."

She crossed her arms, "That's not a reason mommy."

I poked her tiny nose, "It's a good enough reason snuggle bug."

She giggled before looking at me with a serious face. "Say 'yes' mommy."

"Yes mommy." She looked at me strangely.

"No, just say 'yes'."

"And what exactly am I saying 'yes' to?"

"It's a surprise."

"I need to know what the surprise is before I agree to anything."

"But mommmmyyy, that would ruin the surprise!"

"Then I can't say yes."

"You just said it."

"That doesn't count."

She huffed, "Can I get a pony for Christmas?"

"A pony? And just where will we keep a _pony_?"

"Well, I can sleep in your bed with you and we can turn my room into the pony's room. I will name her Baby Fifi because she will be blue with pink hair." _Ah, and now it make sense._

"Honey, you can't get blue and pink ponies."

"Yes you can. Brittany and Briana told me they got a pony from their daddy because he's always away. Brittany's pony is Cotton Candy, and she pink with blue, pink and white hair. And Briana's pony is Fizzy pop and she is purple with pink hair. They have ponies so why can't I get one? Pleaseeee mommy! I'll eat all my veggietables on my plate for one _whole day_!"

I was about to answer when I heard a knock on the door. "We have to go to Ed-daddy's house now, so go get bundled up little one." I said avoiding the question. She kicked off the blanket and ran towards the stairs as fast as her legs could take her. I laughed as I wrapped the blanket over my shoulders before opening the door. I laughed when I saw Emmett. He was jumping up and down while shaking the fresh fallen snow from his mitts and hat.

I moved to the side and let him in. "Took you long enough." He grumbled and closed the door.

"Blame your niece; she was talking about getting a pony and building a stable in her room for it. I'll never understand where she gets her ideas from." Emmett laughed out a booming laugh just as Mackynzie walked down the stairs, dragging two bags behind her.

She dressed herself too, even though I was planning on keeping our Pjs on. She had her coat unzipped and I could see she put her pink _My Little Pony_ shirt on with a pink tutu and blue leggings. She also had on her dress-up high heel shoes. Since I had asked her to bundle up, she put on her Dora jacket and matching mittens, along with her favourite princess crown and a pink and purple boa around her neck.

Emmett's laugher had died down but then he turned around and it started at full volume again. I couldn't help but smile at my pretty princess; my baby was growing up.

"What do you have in your bags sweetie?" I asked while fighting my laugher.

She pulled her _Dora the Explorer_ bag in front of her, "That one has all my dollies in it. And all their clothes and shoes too." Then she pulled her _My Little Pony_ bag so it was in front of her too. "And this one has my pretty tutus and dresses in it and all my pretty shoes. I'm going to play dress-up with Ting one and Ting two.

"Macaroni, I don't think Noah and Ethan are going to dress up in tutus."

"Of course they will Uncle Em. They told me that I was their big sister and they will follow my rules!" She nodded her head and placed her hands on her hips causing her grip to loosen on the bags and tumble down the stairs.

"Oh no! Mommy, I think Molly and Lucy are crying. Quick, check on them." She yelled frantically and she slowly waked down the stairs in her heels.

I unzipped the suitcase and help up her two dolls, showing her they were fine. Once she reached the bottom step she ran towards her dolls, hugging and cooing to them and asking them 'are you hurted?' I thought it was the cutest thing in the world.

"I'm going to go pack our bags, give me five minutes." Emmett nodded as I ran up the stairs, smiling proudly when I made it to the top without tripping.

I grabbed our extra toiletries from under the sink along with some extra shampoo, conditioner, and soap. Then I ran to Mackynzie's bedroom, stopping short in the doorway when I saw the mess in her room. I stepped around all the clothing and toys thrown around the room and made it to her dresser without stepping on anything. I grabbed two sets of clothing -and two extra sets in case of emergencies- for her then carefully walked out of her room and into mine.

I grabbed all my essentials, stuffing everything in my family-size overnight bag, changed into some real clothing then walked out of the room. I grabbed Mackynzie's snow pants, hats and boots from the closet and continued downstairs.

When I got to the living room I quickly dressed Mackynzie in her snow stuff and then hauled on mine, while Emmett carried our bags to the jeep.

When he got back, he grabbed Mackynzie in one arm and pulled me under his other arm before walking outside in the blowing snow. I trusted my brother and kept my face turned towards his jacket until we made it to the jeep. He let me get in on one side, before running around to the other and buckling Mackynzie in. Liam watched us and laughed when snow blew in the car with the door open.

Once we were settled away, Emmett quickly jumped in the driver's seat and slowed backed out of the driveway.

I kept my attention on Liam and Mackynzie the entire ride because I was afraid to look at the snow-covered road. When we made it to Edward's house in one piece, I let out a sigh of relief. Emmett parked as close to the door as possible, which was hard with so many vehicles then jumped out and grabbed Mackynzie in one arm and me under his other. When we were safely in the house, he went back to get his wife and kid. He made a third trip in the blistering snow when he heard Mackynzie talking about her dollies.

Once the snow clothes were removed and hung up to dry, we all walked into the living room where Edward's entire family was seated. I smiled shyly as I walked in with our bags but Mackynzie was full of energy as she walked around in her tutu and princess crown. More than once someone called her 'Princess Mackynzie' and she smiled with delight.

Liam loved having other children to play with and Noah and Ethan screwed up their faces when Mackynzie told them her plans to play dress-up and house. Their attention quickly turned back to Liam who was babbling away on the floor in front of Esme and Charlotte.

I have avoided Edward's eyes as much as possible and it was going fine until Mackynzie crawled onto his lap and constantly spoke to me. Being her mom, I couldn't ignore her just to avoid Edward and I did tell her everything was fine between us, so I made an effort to engage in their conversation whenever my name would come up.

After supper, the kids –along with Peter, Emmett, Jasper, Edward and Carlisle- were spread out on the floor watching holiday movies while the women sat at the table drinking a hot beverage and just talking.

Alice was about to ask me a question, I knew it by the way she kept looking over her shoulder to see if the men or kids were listening. After the fifth time, I couldn't take it anymore, "Just ask me Alice."

She looked at me for a second before smiling, "A little birdie told me that you and Edward plan on getting married." She whispered so only the women at the table could hear.

My jaw dropped open before I forced it to close and turn to face a smirking pixie, "That little birdie is going to get tickled when I get my hands on her." I sighed before turning back to the table, "Mac heard from Em that we had a 'spat' on our date, and then I told her that we're fine and now she got this crazy idea that we were going to get married and have another kid."

"Oh Bella, I hope Liam doesn't take after his father for having a big mouth." Rose said with a smile.

"I'm sure everything will work out fine sweetie, mother's knows best." Esme winked and walked into the kitchen with her mug.

"Amazing, isn't she?" Charlotte laughed at my expression.

"She sure knows how to leave someone speechless." Alice laughed.

Rose, Charlotte and Alice began to talk about baby clothes and Rose insisted on throwing a joint baby-shower for Alice and Charlotte. It took a little more for Charlotte to give in but eventually she agreed. I nodded and smiled as they continued to plan. My gaze fell on Mackynzie and Edward as they snuggled on the couch. When Ethan and Noah had declined her offer to play dress-up, Alice excitedly told her that she would play dress-up with her. They disappeared for an hour or so and when they returned, Mackynzie was wearing a light layer of make-up and matching clothes with her favourite crown, rainbow butterfly wings and a matching pink and purple tutu.

Edward had called her Princess Mackynzie and she insisted that he wear a crown because he was her prince. The game went on right through supper and Edward wore the crown with pride the entire time. He even went as far as letting his daughter do his hair. So Edward was laid on the couch, with about twenty pony holders and buckles in his hair, along with his 'prince crown' while Mackynzie laid on his stomach, dressed in her princess clothes, minus the wings and shoes. Both of them had moved to the couch half-way through the movie and had fallen asleep. It really did warm my heart at the sight of them.

_Flashback_

_Mackynzie walked down the stairs dressed as a princess and smiling widely. Alice was walking in front of her, making sure she didn't slip with her high heel shoes on. _

_Once they reached the living room Alice cleared her throat, "Now introducing, Princess Mackynzie." _

_Mackynzie smiled before adding, "And Princess Alice." Alice nodded in approval when Mackynzie looked at her. _

_Alice took Mackynzie's hand and led her to the couch. She quickly climbed up, losing her shoes in the process, before sitting next to Edward. _

"_Princess Alice," Mackynzie whispered-yelled. "My prince don't have a crown!" _

_Alice gasped in mock-shock, obviously playing along, "Oh no, we must find him one!" Mackynzie nodded and smiled when Alice produced a crown from behind her back. _

_She gave it to Mackynzie who, using Edward for help, stood on the couch, "I now crown you Prince Daddy, oops, I mean Prince Edward." She placed the crown on Edward's head and using his head full of hair, pushed it in place so it wouldn't fall off. _

_Edward smiled as he watched Mackynzie crawl on his lap. After a few minutes of watching cartoons, she smiled innocently at him, batting her eyelashes for good measure. She crossed her fingers and placed them under her chin, "Daddy, can I make you pretty like me?" she asked in the cutest voice ever. I held in my giggle and moved my chair slightly to the right to watch Edward's expression. _

"_I'm pretty." Edward pouted, playing along with her._

"_But daddy, I have to do your hair, and paint your nails, and put your make-up on. Then you will be pretty like me and Aunt Ali." She nodded and her bronze curls bounced around her face. _

_Edward paled at the mention of nail polish and make-up. I thought he wasn't going to go through with it, until he surprised all of us, "Of course you can make me pretty." Charlotte and Rose had joined me in watching Edward play Princess and Prince with his daughter. _

"_Did he really just agree to her painting his nails?" Charlotte asked in disbelief._

"_And putting on make-up?" Rose added. _

_All I could do was nod as I watched my daughter clap her hands excitedly before following Alice back up the stairs, returning moments later with a huge case of make-up._

"_Sit on the floor daddy!" She was bouncing with excitement when Alice joined us in the kitchen. _

"_He really is a remarkable man Bella. I hope I have two little girls, the first thing I'll tell them about, is their big cousin dressing up their uncle like a princess. He's never going to live this down." She laughed as she walked towards the kitchen, a smile on her face and a hand on her stomach. _

_I turned my attention back to the living room where Mackynzie had started his make-up; he looked like a clown and she was just getting started. _

_About a half hour later, Mackynzie announced her Prince was done. When I saw Edward's transformation, I placed a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. He had at least twenty elastic bands and clips in his hair, eye shadow up to his forehead, two rosy red cheeks, and pink and purple nails. While the women managed to hold their laughter, the men sure didn't as they bust-out laughing as soon as they saw him. _

_Noah and Ethan stared at their father in shock before announcing 'don't move dad' and running towards the kitchen. Since Esme had returned back to the kitchen she must have helped the boys get something higher than they could reach because they returned to the living room seconds later with a children's camera in their hands. _

_They stood in front of Edward, who was sat on the couch, and Mackynzie, who had crawled back to his lap, and quickly snapped three or four pictures each, laughing widely as they ran back to the kitchen. _

_They entire time, all I could do was smile._

_End of Flashback_

As I watched them, my mind drifted back to Friday night. Maybe I was a little too hard on Edward because the way he described me that night sounded like something I would do while I was drunk. I have only been 'drunk' twice in my entire life; once at the concert and once at Rosalie's bachelorette party. Although I never asked her what I did that night, I always had a feeling I did _something_ because for days after the wedding I would get strange texts and calls from a blocked number. At first I thought it was a stalker but after I finally told Emmett what was going on, he answered the call for me.

_Flashback_

_I stared at my phone while it rang for the third time in the past half hour. Mackynzie was asleep for her nap and Rosalie was gone to work. _

_Emmett stared at the phone when I didn't bother to answer it. He quickly grabbed it out of my hands and answered it._

"_Hello?"_

_Silence. _

"_Hello? I know you are there I can hear you breathing."_

"_**Um, hello."**__ An unfamiliar voice spoke on the other end._

"_Is there a reason you keep calling and texting my phone?" I gapped at Emmett who just winked at me as he put the phone on speaker so I could hear._

"_**I…uh…yes…I mean no…I…"**_

_Emmett let out a frustrated sigh._

"_**I thought this was a chick's number."**_

"_Well it's obviously not. I don't know how you got my number but I'm married to a wonderful woman and I would appreciate it if you stopped calling my phone. I don't swing that way." I quickly put a hand over my mouth to stop my giggles._

"_**Hey man, I'm not gay! A girl named Gabriella gave me this number. She was drunk and told me to text and call her sometime. Sorry man."**_

"_Just don't contact this number again and I won't go to the police."_

"_**No-no, I won't s-sir."**_

"_Good."_

_Emmett ended the call and threw my phone in my lap. Then he turned back to the t.v and continued watching his sports as if nothing had happened. _

_It was safe to say that I never got a call from a blocked number ever again. _

_End of Flashback_

Maybe I did give the guy my number but I was too drunk to remember and woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and a fussy toddler. Mackynzie had just hit the terrible twos and she made sure I enjoyed every minute of it.

I sighed as I focused on Edward and Mackynzie again. She really did seem happier now that she had a father in her life. Noah and Ethan seemed to love having an older sister and although they rarely say it, they have called me 'mommy' several times.

My thoughts drifted back to Friday night's date; realization hit me like a wrecking ball. Edward was the only good thing that had happened to us since Mackynzie was born and all I did Friday night was argue and push him away. I don't want my daughter to lose her father because of my actions.

I thought about the text he sent on Monday and how he shyly asked me on yet another date on Wednesday, even though I don't deserve his kind treatment for how I acted Friday night. He was only trying to tell me the truth and I got angry at him.

_"Seriously, Edward? You accused me of seducing __you__ while I was drunk and more or less forced you to have sex."_

_"I didn't sa-"_

_"Yes you did. I'm sick of listening to your bullshit Edward. You blamed me for our daughter. Do you even want her in your life? Or was it just an excuse to get closer to me? Huh?"_

_"What are you talking about Bella? I never accused you of anything! I'm thrilled that I have a little girl. I couldn't be happier. Even my boys have a smile on their face, which I have never seen before and __you__ put that smile there Bella. You told them they could call you 'mommy'. You have only just met us and you have already accepted them as your children."_

I shook my head and walked towards the living room door. The women were gone upstairs to look at baby clothes online and when they asked me to come, I simply waved them off.

As I looked around the living room, I noticed Carlisle was missing but everyone else was sound asleep. Emmet had Noah on his stomach, Jasper had Ethan and Peter had little Liam. I quietly stepped around their feet and turned down the T.V, then walked to the hall closet to get some blankets since it was still a little chilly due to the constant falling snow.

Carlisle walked into the living room just as I was placing the last blanket over Mackynzie and Edward.

"You have to admit; they're cute when they are sleeping." I looked around the room once more and couldn't help but agree with him.

"Yeah, I guess they are."

"Bella, can I talk to you while we wait for them to wake? I haven't really had a chance to get the whole story on how Mackynzie ties us all together." He asked quietly.

"Ye-yeah sure." Just because I didn't want to talk about it with Edward, doesn't mean that his father shouldn't know the story.

Once we were seated in Edward's office upstairs, he sighed and looked at me. "Take your time and tell me what you like. I won't judge your actions or any of your decisions."

So for the next two hours I told Carlisle everything; the surprise tickets, meeting Edward for the first time, leaving out the part about underage drinking, the positive pregnancy test, searching for the father but giving up all hope even though my brother kept searching. I told him everything and when I was done, I waited for him to start yelling at me, telling me and my daughter to pack up and get out of their lives. What I didn't expect was two gentle arms pulling me into a fatherly hug. We shared smiles and he sat on the desk facing me.

"Does Edward know your side of the story? How you were lonely and scared to be raising a child at 18 but doing an amazing job in the end. Did you tell him what you have just told me?" I shamefully shook my head. Carlisle continued, "I think you should tell him Bella. Tell him everything you just told me. He understands what you must have gone through while raising a daughter and getting an education at the same time, I had to watch him do it but you have to tell him what you felt, what you were thinking

"Since you came into our lives, especially Edward's, I noticed he smiles more. He hasn't smiled like that since he met Elizabeth back in college. You and Mackynzie are bringing back the old Edward and everyone has noticed it. I'm sure if I asked you father of brother, they would tell me the same thing; that they can see a difference in you and your daughter, a good difference.

I know you think it's hopeless now but give it some time; talk through things with Edward and listen to what each other has to say before judging. I have a good feeling about this Bella, you and Edward are going to work everything out in the end; father's know."

I inwardly smiled at how Carlisle and Esme had referred themselves as 'mother' and 'father' while talking to me. I absorbed everything Carlisle had said and I realized just how immature I really was Friday night.

I made a promise to myself right then; I was going to talk with Edward, we were going to work things out between us, in a grown-up manner and we were –possibly- going to show our children what having two parents was really like, even if we're not married.

I thanked Carlisle for listening to me and headed back downstairs with a smile on my face. It was time to change and hopefully, it would be a better change for all of us.

Just as I walked into the living room, I heard Emmett's voice coming from the dining room. I followed the voices to find Emmett, Rose, Edward (who had de-prince-ified himself), Peter, Jasper, and the kids getting bundled up in their snow suits. When Mackynzie saw me in the doorway she ran over to me, smiling brightly.

"We're going outside in the snow Mommy! Do you want to come? Uncle Em said they we're having a snow flake fight. But since me and Aunt Rosie is the only girls, uncle Em, Noah and Ethan are going to be on the team with us, and Daddy, Jasper and Peter are going to be on Daddy's team. Nana is going outside too and she's going to play with Lele because he's too small to have a snow flake fight. Wanna come?"

I looked from my daughter, to Emmett, and then Edward who shrugged and smiled before he went back to dressing up his kids like tiny Eskimos. I sighed and nodded, causing my daughter squeal with excitement before running over to tell 'daddy' the good news. It seems like her world revolves around 'daddy' now and I couldn't help myself when I began to smile.

Since the teams were almost even, Rose switched places with me and joined the other team, leaving me with my brother and the kids. Once we got outside Emmett called a team meeting and we huddled together.

"Okay team, here's the plan; let's go out there and win this thing." Noah looked at him and raised an eyebrow; how he learned to do that at the age of four, will forever be a mystery.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, that's a beginner's plan. Here's the real one, me and Ethan will attack on the left, Uncle Em and Kenzie will attack the right, and mommy, you'll stand behind the fort as bait." I raised my own eyebrow at him.

"I'll do what now?" I asked teasingly.

"Mommy, we need fast runners, you'll just slow us down because you'll fall on the snow." Mackynzie said, backing up her younger brother.

"The rascals got a point, sis." I huffed but took my position behind the fort anyway.

Since Esme was on the sideline playing with Liam, she called us to start. When she said 'go' the team took off to each side just like Noah had said, each of them carrying an armful on snowballs. I hid behind the fort, making more in case they ran out.

I was so caught up in making snowballs that I didn't hear someone sneak up behind me when I turned to face the opposite team.

Before I knew what had happen, I felt two arms snake around my waist, and I let out a frighten scream which was quickly muffled by a gloved hand. The kids and adults continued playing, oblivious to what was happening behind the huge pile of snow.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sooo.. what did you think of that? I wonder who the mystery person is! And the stalker hasn't made themselves known yet, but could that be him/her? Let me hear your thoughts with a review!**

**And the deal sticks for this chapter also! **

**0-14 reviews = Update in 7 days. Wednesday, March 21****st****. (I have a test on that day, so if I have to update then [hopefully I won't] then I'll do it during Psychology class =P)**

**15+ reviews = Update on Saturday, March 17th (or Sunday, March 18****th****. I have a lot of work to do this weekend) **

**Reviews = sneak peeks! (On Friday! The chapter is almost done) **

**Just a little note about the sneak peek; I'm sorry if some of you had a little panic attack if you read that first, but that wasn't even in my chapter until I saw Narcissa-Weasly's review about not letting the kids die. At first it was going to be a fake sneak peek, just to get everyone riled up for the next chapter, and then I mentioned it to my beta and gave me the idea of putting it as a dream. I read it over a few times, and it works, so I kept it there. I'm sorry again if I scared you; please feel free to leave your thoughts as reviews ;)**

_**NEXT CHAPTER: We find out who grabbed Bella, and exactly what they have plan!**_


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here's chapter 12! **

**I have a few things to say, but I promise to keep it short. **

**1) I would like to say I'm very sorry to my readers who reviewed and amazing 16 times and never got the chapter until tonight. I've been up to my eyeballs with tests and assignments I didn't get a chance to sit down and relax for an hour to finish writing it. **

**2) A huge thank-you to my beta that had this back to me in about 24 hours. I don't know how she does it, but she's amazing! Thank-you mommyof3boys! **

**3) I hope everyone that reviewed received their sneak-peek. Just remember that if you don't have an account, I can't send anything. So thank-you to all my reviewers and I know you must be on the edge of your seats waiting for me to update. **

**So, without further ado, I pronounce Bella and Edward, man and wife. **

**Just kidding, they're not married! **

**Enjoy the chapter :)**

**Bella's POV**

_Previously:_

_I was so caught up in making snowballs that I didn't hear someone sneak up behind me when I turned to face the opposite team._

_Before I knew what had happen, I felt two arms snake around my waist and I let out a frightened scream which was quickly muffled by a gloved hand. The kids and adults continued playing, oblivious to what was happening behind the huge pile of snow._

Our side of the backyard was surrounded by trees, so when the person started to drag me towards them, I started to panic. I tried waving my arms wildly, hoping to get someone's attention but that was short-lived when I felt my hands getting locked behind my back and pulled to the person's chest.

He continued to drag me towards the woods until we were in the safety of the trees and out of sight. He then pulled me to my feet and began walking further into the unknown.

After a few minutes of walking, I noticed a tree-house up ahead. It only occurred to me then that the person behind me knew where they were going, and realization occurred right away; was it Edward behind me?

"Edward?" I asked behind his glove which was still over my mouth causing the word to come out muffled. I heard him laughed and help me up the ladder to the tree house. He let go of my hands and mouth but stayed behind me the entire time.

Slowly and carefully I made my way up the slippery ladder. Once I reached the top, I sighed and sat on one of the pillows, then turned to face my abductor. I scowled when I noticed it was indeed Edward Cullen.

I was about to scream at him when he held up his hands in surrender. "If you're going to yell, then wait until we get back to the house and yell at our in-laws", they are the ones that came up with the plan."

"To kidnap me and bring me to a tree house in the middle of the woods? That sounds like something Rose would come up with."

He huffed in agreement, "She was also the one who told me to get my head of my ass and talk to you about our problems."

I blushed and ducked my head down towards my chest, "About that, I really am sorry about my attitude Friday night. I should've never said all those things to you. You were only telling me the truth and it was wrong for me to jump to conclusions."

He gently lifted my chin up to meet his eyes, "I was wrong too, if I didn't have to jump to the point right away, we probably would've had a nice dinner. I just assumed that you wanted to know everything, so that's what I told myself to do, tell you everything about that night."

"I guess we both have to talk about this, huh?"

He nodded and turned on the light overhead, pressed a button on a fan –which I realized afterwards, was a heater- and closed the door before sitting on his pillow again.

I raised an eyebrow at him, who has a door in a tree house?

He laughed at my expression then shrugged, "The kids asked me to add a door because it was their secret hideout."

We sat in silence for the longest time.

_Is he waiting for me to speak?_

Several more minutes past and neither of us spoke.

"So..." Edward said, finally breaking the silence.

"If you want to talk Edward you can start; it's not like I can escape this time anyway." I laughed but he didn't even smile.

"Look Bella, I really want us to talk about this but I don't want to ruin it again. We both know that we share responsibility of what happen that night. I'm not blaming you, if anything; I blame myself for not doing anything about our drunken situations. I really want this to work out, I love Mackynzie and I just met her. Noah and Ethan talk about you _all _the time. They have never asked about their mother but since you came into their world that's all they can talk about.

"I'll have to tell them about Elizabeth eventually but I'm going to wait until they're a little bit older and can understand it better. I really want to show my -no-_our _kids what it's like to have two parents but we both have to agree in order for it to work. I'm not pushing it or making you do anything; this is completely up to you."

By the time he was finished talking, he had his knees drawn up to his chest and gently rested his head on them while he waited for me to respond.

I repeated his words over and over in my head trying to find the right words but my mind was drifting back to the living room earlier today. I thought about how he had Mackynzie in his arms every chance he could get and how she dressed him up as her prince.

I kept hearing Alice's words over and over; "_He really is a remarkable man Bella."_

I looked back at Edward, he still had his head on his knees and his shoulders were shaking a tiny bit.

_Is he crying? _"Edward?" I whispered.

He released a shaky breath before looking towards me. He had been crying, his eyes were bloodshot and a little puffy.

"Edward, why are you crying? Please tell me what you're thinking."

He smiled softly, "It's nothing Bella."

"Liar, now tell me what's wrong." I moved my pillow closer to him because it was getting a little chillier in the small space, even with the heater running.

"I keep having dreams, nightmares, about you wanting full custody of Mackynzie, in the end you always get it. And for some reason, my boys follow you out the door too. I always wake up sweating and tangled in the blankets." He took a deep breath before he looked me directly in the eyes. "Please don't take my children from me Bella."

I shook my head and had the fight the urge to wrap my arm around him in comfort.

"I will never take them away Edward; the only way Mackynzie will leave is if she makes that decision herself. I won't stop her from spending time with you."

He let out another shaky breath, this one lasted longer than the first and his smile returned as we just stared at each other. "Thank you."

We fell into silence again, before I got the courage to speak.

"Edward, I'm going to be completely honest with you. While you were sleeping, your dad invited me to talk. He gave me some encouraging words and I spilled my heart out to him. He told me to talk to you and tell you everything that I had told him, so that's what I'm going to do –if you will take the time to listen."

He nodded, "Of course I will listen, I'll always listen to you Bella, to anything you have to say, I promise."

I took a deep breath and spilled my heart to him, repeating everything I had told Carlisle. The tickets, the concert, the drinking, the lost memory of the bedroom, finding out I was pregnant, giving up the search for the father, raising my baby girl on my own, night after night of listening to her cry and not knowing what to do, growing into an adult at the age of nineteen, and finally, seeing him again after five long years. Somewhere in my rant, my feelings must've slipped out because by the time I finished, he had his arm around me, soothing me and whispering soft comforting words in my ear.

I let my body relax further into his embrace. I looked into his emerald green eyes as he looked into mine.

That was the moment I knew I was falling quickly in love with Edward Cullen.

**Edward's POV**

I never wanted to move from this tree house. Bella told me her life story, her fears, the millions of tears she had cried, and most importantly, how her heart raced every time she watched my daughter and I interact. I don't think she meant to add that little detail but she did and I knew she felt the same way I did.

The first time I saw her; my heart had skipped a beat. It was only a few years later that I had met my Elizabeth and I thought what we had was true love. I know now that I was completely wrong, it wasn't the same spark I felt when I was next to Bella.

Having her next to me in my arms, made me feel complete again. I haven't felt that way since I lost my wife. She was bringing back the old me and even I could see the difference.

I felt her head move and I looked down at her. I stared into her chocolate eyes and it was clear that I was falling in love with Bella Swan.

Our faces moved closer and closer together. Her eyes fluttered close as our faces became only inches apart. Our lips moved closer until there was less than a centimeter between them, almost touching.

Again we shifted closer and I closed my eyes. I leaned in to close the gap.

"_Daddy, mommy, where are you?"_We quickly jumped apart, our almost-kiss forgotten. _I almost kissed Bella Swan, holy shit!_

I saw her back straighten as she stared at her fingers. I couldn't tell if whether or not she had wanted to kiss me.

"I guess we should…"

"Yeah, the kids." I finished as I stood up and opened the door. I could feel her gaze on my back.

"Up here!" I smiled as I watched them run closer to the tree house, Mackynzie eyes lit up as she saw it for the first time.

"What are you doing in _our _tree house dad?" Noah asked, cocking his head to the side.

I laughed, "Playing hide-and-seek. You found me."

Ethan shook his head, "That's not how you play hide-and-seek, daddy." Mackynzie and Noah nodded in agreement.

I felt Bella standing next to me, "Your dad cheated at the snow-ball fight. He was the one that brought me here, I'm sorry if you lost because of your dad." Bella said, smiling when I turned my head to face her.

When my father built the tree house, I made sure to stress the fact that I wanted something surrounding the entire thing with a railing, which was what Bella and I were standing on, looking at the kids on the snow.

"Don't listen to her; she took _me _here." I teased, mainly because I wanted to see which side the kids were on.

The three of them shared a look, Ethan was the one to speak up, "You kissed. _That's _why you left the snow-flake fight." I felt my mouth fall open. How in the world did two four-year-olds and a five-year-old come to that conclusion? I looked towards Bella, noticing she was having similar thoughts.

I didn't know what to say and I could tell that Bella didn't either. She decided to ignore it as she walked back towards the door of the tree house and grabbed her gloves and hat. I did the same, turning off the light and fan on my way out.

When I closed the door, locking it so the kids wouldn't climb up an icy ladder, I noticed Bella sizing up the snowy ground, as if it would magically come to her. I got her attention and motioned to the ladder.

She shook her head, looking a little green as I started to climb down. I was half way down when she slowly reached her foot out for the ladder.

"Please don't let me fall. Please don't let me fall." She mumbled as I helped her with her footing on the ladder.

The kids watched us, giggling and whispering the entire time. I couldn't control help but smile when I heard start to chant.

"Bella and Edward up in a tree, K-I-ssing. First they kiss and then get married and now they live forever and ever!" The three of them smiled at us when they finished. They said it completely wrong but I didn't have the heart to correct their mistakes.

Bella let out a shaky breath as her feet finally reached the snow. "I feel like kissing the ground. _Never, ever _take me up there again, unless you plan on installing an elevator!" She clung to me trying to regain her breath. The only reason I took her up there was to have privacy.

As we walked back to the house with the kids I couldn't help but wonder if she would have actually kissed me. I really wanted this day to strengthen our relationship, but for a good relationship to work there has to be two people and I wasn't sure how she felt about me.

The kids were talking the entire way; apparently they also won the snowball fight. Mom had announced that the winner's would be rewarded with her special home-made hot chocolate.

Once we got inside the house, the wet snow suits were hung up to dry and we all gathered in the living room where the hot chocolate was waiting. Liam had his in a Sippy cup and the kids were drinking from a small mug with a cartoon character printed on it. Noah and Ethan had Diego and Mackynzie had My Little Pony; I had bought an extra mug just for her when I found out about her love for the TV show.

Bella sat next to me and drank her hot chocolate, taking smaller sips from her mug since it was much hotter than the kids.

Even though mom had told us that the winners would get her famous hot chocolate, she still gave the opposite team hot chocolate as well since the kids had argued that there were no losers because everyone is a winner. Bella and I shared a smile at the thoughtfulness of our children.

When the hot chocolate was gone and the children were bathed, we curled up on the couch and floor watching another movie. Emmett pointed out that the snow had stopped and they could go back home but then we turned on the news and got reports that another storm was headed our way and the power would remain out until 6 pm tomorrow with a further update to follow.

The surrounding schools had also set up emergency shelters for anyone without heat and power. They had several generators running to provide warmth and shelter and were serving food donated from nearby communities unaffected by the power outage.

Bella was sitting next to me on the couch and when she eventually drifted to sleep; she unconsciously shifted closer and leaned her head on my chest. At first I was going to wake her but I decided against it when Mackynzie nudged her brothers and they looked back.

A smiled broke out on my face as Mackynzie whispered, "Awe." She smiled at us snuggling on the couch and went back to watching _101 Dalmatians_. It was the only Disney movie the kids would agree on that was for boys _and_ girls.

Eventually the kids had fallen asleep on the floor and when I noticed it was midnight I gently situated Bella in my arms and carried her upstairs. Before I knew what I was doing, I walked into my room and was about to put her on the bed. I quickly realized my mistake and with a quiet sigh I exited my room and carried her next door to the guest room. It just felt so right so carry the mother of my children to my bed. I pulled the blankets over her and gently kissed her forehead; it was the best I could do without attacking her lips like I should have done in the tree house.

I quickly ran downstairs and grabbed Mackynzie to get her settled in her new room and then returned to get my boys. Rose had been in the den watching a movie with my parents. Alice and Charlotte and the men and Bella but minus my father had decided to watch the movie with the kids. I was happy to follow Bella's decision. Emmett had taken Liam with him and Rose to bed and once all the children were settled, I got ready for bed as well.

I quickly brushed my teeth and washed my face before returning to my bedroom; that's the advantage of having an ensuite, the bathroom is completely private. What I didn't expect to see was Bella curled up on my bed with her eyes closed but a smile on her face.

"Bella?" I nudged her gently which eventually turned into tickling. She giggled and screamed into the pillow for me to stop. Once we calmed down, I sat next to her on the bed. "Not that I'm opposed but why are you in my bed?"

She turned her head and mumbled something in her knees which were drawn to her chest.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?" I gently nudged her chin so she was looking at me.

"I had a nightmare."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "No. I just had to make sure you were here. I can go back to the guest room." She slowly moved towards the other side of the bed, until I stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"You don't have to leave. I…I mean, if you will be more comfortable, you could stay with me. We won't do anything you don't want to, I promise." I pleaded, hoping she would stay the night.

"Okay." She mumbled as she scooted under the blankets again.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me about your dream? It might help." She looked at me for a few seconds and then took a deep breath.

"I had a dream that you and the kids were shot and a blonde hair man forced me to watch the entire thing. I screamed for you to run but you wouldn't listen. The man, he-he had blue eyes and long blonde hair, his features seemed so familiar, almost like I've seen him before. I had to see if it was a dream. I checked on the kids and they were sound asleep but when I came in to find the room empty, I had to make sure it was you in the bathroom."

"Oh Bella, come here." I held her as she cried into my shirt. I was covered in tear stains when she pulled away but I didn't care.

"I ruined your shirt, sorry." She looked down at her hands.

"No, it's perfect. There's nothing wrong with it. Let's get some sleep." She nodded and we climbed under the blankets. She tossed and turned a few times before I slowly wrapped my arm around her and she leaned closer to my body. She fit perfectly under my arm and that's how we fell into a deep nightmare-free slumber.

"Daddy, Mommy, wakey-wakey, time for eggs and bacon-y! Daddy, Mommy, wake upppp! We're hungry." Three voices outside the door woke me the next morning. "We know you're in there! Now come out and feed your children!"

I smiled as I glanced at Bella in my arms. She never woke once last night when we fell asleep with her wrapped close to my body. I stared at her for a few minutes until a smile broke across her face.

"Why do I have the feeling I'm being stared at?" She said in a teasing voice. She opened her eyes and turned to look at me. "Hi." She smiled.

"Hi."

"The breakfast monsters are on the loose. Maybe we should feed them before they try to take matters into their own hands." I laughed as I hugged her closer.

"I don't want to move." I mumbled into her shoulder. Slowly I felt her legs move under the blanket, and before I knew what was happening, I felt myself let out a high-pitch yelp as freezing cold toes ran from my ankle to my knee. "Holy shit Bella, your toes are freezing." I grabbed a foot in my hand and began warming it.

She hummed in approval and I continued with the other one.

She giggled as I placed her toes between my legs to keep them warm. "That's what happens when I sleep with my feet outside the blankets on cold winter nights. They are like ice in the morning."

We were silent when we heard Emmett's voice travel towards the bedroom door and when the pounding began; we confirmed it that it was him. _"Alright lovebirds, your children, nephew, and brother are hungry, so come feed us. The women refuse to get up, and Rose warned me that bad things will happen if I even attempt to cook. I'm sure Bella can tell you all kinds of stories but it'll have to wait until after breakfast. Now get up!"_ With a few loud knocks on our door, Emmett finally huffed and walked away.

Bella giggled, "Sorry, my brother can be loud and obnoxious when he's not fed."

I couldn't help but smile, "I guess the children had a good teacher." Bella nodded then motioned towards the bathroom.

I reluctantly released her as she ran towards the bathroom and disappeared inside, closing the door with a click.

The talk in the tree house yesterday had been worth it.

_Flashback –Before the snowball fight had begun-_

_Rose, Dad, Jasper, Peter and I were gathered in a circle outside while we waited for Esme to start the game. The kids had asked to go outside and at first we had told them no, but after they mentioned a snowball fight and how we were afraid they were going win, we agreed with a sigh. Two children with puppy dog eyes were bad, but add an innocent little girl who bats her eyelashes and we were sold in a heartbeat._

_Alice and Charlotte had offered to stay inside to get the homemade hot chocolate ready and since they were both pregnant, the morning sickness has taken a toll on both of them. Jasper and Peter wanted to stay inside with them but the women insisted they needed all the exercise they could get before the pair of twins arrived and my mother agreed with them, laughing as she went to start getting the kids ready. In the end, it was agreed that Emmett and Rose would be on the kids team, and it would be five against four but when Bella had agreed to join us after much persuasion on Mackynzie's part, the teams were evened out a bit more as Rose joined our team, giving us five, and the kid's team five._

_At first, the plan was to grab the kids and convince them to join "the dark side" as Peter had laughingly put it. Then Rose suggested that I grab Bella and take her somewhere private, like a tree fort or something and talk to her without being a complete prick. When I was about to argue, Peter and Jasper added that she was right and I didn't deserve the trust Bella had given me back after our date on Friday night. When dad agreed too, I knew it was pointless to argue. So our game plan changed after that, while I grabbed Bella, Peter and Rose would grab the kids and Jasper and dad would take on Emmett. If the kids agreed to join us, then it would be seven against one. We would win with the odds in our favor._

_Once the game started, I silently moved around the playing field and spotted Bella facing back-on to me. I silently crept up behind her and lead her to the kid's tree house in the woods about a minute away from the house. It was still relatively close and I could see the tree house from the kitchen window if the kids decided to play there but it was surrounded by trees facing the snowball fight and it would give us some privacy._

_At first Bella had panicked a little but when she realized it was just me, she had relaxed in my arms._

_Once we were settled in the tree house, which I had decided as a last minute thing to add a heater and run electricity to it, I turned to face Bella and gave her a chance to kick me out of their lives. We talked, cried, hugged, and just cuddled to keep warm when realization hit us that there were mere millimeters between our lips._

_When we heard our kids' voices, we jumped away from each other, the kiss forgotten._

_If we still have on date on Wednesday night, I fully intended to offer her a chance to start over and get to know each other the correct way. We would place the past of unanswered questions behind us and start new._

_End of Flashback_

When Bella emerged from the bathroom, I sighed and dragged myself out of bed and followed her example of getting ready for the day's activities. She defended herself that she wanted to be comfortable since it was a snow day and decided to wear sweats and an old t-shirt. She couldn't have looked better; anything she wore made her beautiful in my eyes. When I had voiced my opinion, she blushed and move to the mirror to fix her hair.

I followed her clothing choices and also decided to wear sweats and a t-shirt. When I came out of the bathroom she was smiling as she sat on the bed.

"What?" I asked with a shrug.

She shook her head, "You know what; we match!" She giggled, letting me know she was only joking about being angry, and I opened the door and walked to the kitchen with her close by my side.

When we arrived to the kitchen we found it empty, but with hushed voices coming from the living room, I knew we had hungry kids –and Emmett- to feed, so we got straight to work on a full snow day breakfast. An hour later we had everything on the table, and everyone was awake. Bella and I had collaborated and made everything we could think of to feed an army for breakfast; chocolate chip pancakes, bologna, toast, ham, eggs (scrambled and fried), cheese and ham omelet, French toast, and the list went on. We made coffee the adults, and hot chocolate for the children. Nothing says snow-day like a big breakfast with your family.

The kids had woken Emmett since he had been on the couch after waking sometime this morning and noticed that the temperature had dropped. He decided to check on the generator, which was just outside the garage door and filled it with gas when he noticed it had shut-off. I thanked him when he told us and he said not to worry about it. He had a generator similar to mine and he had to learn how to work it at some point.

When the kids had woke this morning and found Emmett on the couch, they begged him to play Wii with them. My parents had recently bought them a Wii for Christmas and then bought _Just Dance Kids _so they could release some of their never-ending energy by dancing. They first time they played it; they caught on quickly and were soon begging me for more dancing games. I gave in, and right now we own every _Just Dance _game. It gives us something to do that involves movement on rainy days, so I'm not complaining if the kids are happy.

Emmett excitedly agreed to play Wii and the five of them danced as quietly as possible before they declared they were hungry, which was when Bella and I were woken up to make some breakfast.

The day flew by quickly and the storm continued outside. We played video games and board games throughout the day and by supper time, the snow had come to a stop once more. By 8pm, the power was restored and the roads were cleared enough for Emmett, Rose, Liam, Bella and Mackynzie to head home.

At first Mackynzie fought with her mom, saying she was having too much fun and didn't want to leave but Bella reminded Mackynzie that she had school in the morning and we could visit tomorrow evening after school. With a kiss and a hug, I sent them on their way, making Bella promise that she would call me as soon as she got home.

An hour had passed and there was still no call from Bella. My mind started going crazy with all kinds of scenarios but they all came to an end when my phone finally started ringing and a picture of my two girls flashed on the screen.

"Hello?"

"_Hi daddy!"_

"Hi baby, are you home now?"

"_Yep."_

"Is Mommy there?"

"Yep."

"Could I speak to her for a minute, sweetie?"

"_Nope."_ These one-word answers were killing me.

"Why not? Is she busy?"

"_Yep."_

"Is she next to you Mackynzie?"

"_Nope."_

"Where has she gone?"

"_Upstairs."_

"Can you get her for me?"

"_Sure."_

I heard the phone being placed on a table and Mackynzie's voice yelled out to Bella, to tell her she was wanted on the phone.

"_Hi daddy!"_

I couldn't help but laugh at her excitement. "Hi princess, is mommy coming to the phone?"

She didn't get to answer before I heard Bella speak into the phone, _"Hello?"_

"Hi Bella, I just wanted to speak to you to make sure you made it home alright."

"_Yeah, traffic was a little heavy so Emmett took his time."_

"I was getting worried when you didn't call."

"_Sorry, it completely slipped my mind until Mackynzie mentioned about my date tomorrow night. I asked her to call you."_

"It was good to hear both of your voices. I'm glad you got home safely and I'm sorry to make this a short call but I have to tuck my boys in bed. I wouldn't want them sleeping in and missing daycare."

She giggled but agreed with me, saying she had to get Mackynzie ready as well. We said good-night and hung up.

The next morning turned out to be a snow day as well. Even though the main roads were cleared, the school parking lots and many driveways were still snowed in. More snow had fallen but thankfully the power had not gone out.

The schools were opening at one but the daycares were closed for the day. I was sitting at the table, working on their alphabet with my kids when my phone rang. I looked at the screen and noticed Bella's picture.

I thought something had happen to Mackynzie, what I didn't expect was to hear Bella cry into the phone, _"You're a liar!" _She yelled through sobs.

I just sat at the kitchen table, with the phone next to my ear and waited for Bella to calm down to find out what the hell was going on now and how I was going to fix yet another mess between us.

**And we get another batch of drama! :)**

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter. Are Bella and Edward moving too fast? Isn't Mackynzie just the cutest little thing? Voice your opinion and let me know! I love reading all my reviews!**

**As promised from previous chapters, I will send you a sneak peek if you review. **

**Since I am posting this on Thursday; if I get less than 10 reviews by Saturday, I'll be updating in a week, so next Thursday (March 29, 2011). **

**OR if I get more than 15 reviews (15+) by Saturday March 24****th****, then I'll update on Monday, March 26****th****. For only 5 reviews, you get the chapter three days earlier!**

**If you really love me and I get 20+ review by Saturday, (since I already have the chapter wrote) I'll send it to my beta tomorrow, and post it Saturday night (as long as I get 20+ reviews). **

**No matter how many reviews I get, I will still keep writing! **

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts. **

**Love,**

**Maddie**

**P.S. The next chapter (Chapter 13) is estimated to be about 9,000+ words! So 20 reviews will totally be worth it ;) Think about it.**


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: So here's the chapter everyone has been waiting for! Lots of things going on in this one. **

**Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed and I'm sorry if you never got you sneak peek, I had no way of sending you one if you don't have an account :( **

**Also, a huge thank-you to my amazing Beta! She had this back to me in less than 48 hours. How amazing is that! **

**We were soo close to 20 reviews! I honestly thought I was going to have to post this un-beta'd if I did get 20. **

**Let's try for 20 this chapter, okay? :) I'll leave you to the story. This is a big chapter! 12,168 words! Wow…even I was blown away by that when I checked the word count. Okay, I'll shut-up now. See you at the bottom :)**

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><p><strong>Bella's POV<strong>

"Mommy, is it time for school now?" Mackynzie asked me for the tenth time in the past hour. Since it snowed again last night, the school was closed for the morning but the kindergarteners were asked to go in at 1pm instead of having the day off. When I told her the news after the call, she was bouncing with excitement and reminding me a lot of Alice.

"Yes, go get on your snow suit." I sighed and shook my head as she ran off. It was only 12:15pm and the bus wouldn't arrive until 12:45pm but I figured it would take her at least a half hour to calm down enough for school.

Sure enough, thirty minutes later I sent her on the bus with a kiss and a hug.

I shivered as I walked back to the house, quickly grabbing the blankets that were discarded on the arm of the couch and covering up to my chin. Even though it had stopped snowing, it was still very chilly outside.

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><p>I must have dozed off after I sent Mackynzie on the bus because when I jumped awake to a knock on my front door, I noticed was 1:30pm; Mackynzie would be home from school soon and I promised her we would visit her father after school.<p>

I quickly ran to the door when the person knocked for the second time. I opened the door, expecting to see Edward or Emmett but instead there was a strange man staring back at me.

He looked so familiar with his bright blue eyes and blonde hair but I couldn't remember where I had seen him before.

**(****IMPORTANT NOTE! ~~Jamie Livingston is the fake name that 'James' used! His real name is James Huntington!~~IMPORTANT NOTE****)**

"Hello, can I help you?"

He smiled, "Hello ma'am. I'm looking for an Isabella Swan."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Jamie Livingston. Would Ms. Swan happen to be around?" I narrowed my eyes slightly.

"I'm sorry; you must have the wrong house. My name is Emma Fawn." _Emma Fawn, really?_

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry ma'am. A young gentleman by the name of Emmett Swan told me Isabella lived in this house." Emmett told him I lived here? Without knowing who the man was? That doesn't sound like my brother.

I shook my head, "Maybe he got mixed up. Like I said, my name is Hannah Fawn." When he narrowed his eyes and smirked, I knew I had said something wrong.

"Hannah? I thought your name was Emma?"

"I-I… it is. My middle name is Emma, and my first name is Hannah. Hannah Emma Fawn; nice to meet you." I stuck out my hand but he didn't shake it. Slowly I returned it to my side, this is going downhill fast. _Shit, why did I open the door?_

He nodded but didn't reply.

"Was there something you needed Mr. Livingston? I am terribly busy and it's obvious you got the wrong house."

"That's a shame; I had some important information for Isabella Swan."

"Re-really?"

He nodded his head, "Yes, but it seems as though I have the wrong house. I guess she'll never find out who the father of her child is." He sighed and crossed his arms.

_That_ caught my attention. "I-I, um, well…you have a great day, Mr. Havingston. I mean Livingston." I was about to close the door when his hand shot out, preventing me from closing it.

"Well played Ms. Swan. Now, if you will be so kind as to let me into your home, I'll explain exactly why I am here." He didn't give me a choice in the matter as he pushed the door open and let himself in, closing and locking it behind him.

"Mr. Livingston, I assure you, you have the wrong person. I'm a university student, single, and living alone. I don't have a daughter." _...here at home. Just please leave before she returns from school._

"Really, then you wouldn't mind me asking why you have pictures of a little girl on your walls?"

"Th-that's my ni-niece." I stuttered, despite my effort to keep my voice strong.

He laughed, "This just keeps getting better and better. Honestly, why did you ever become a day-care teacher? You would be a great actress!" He fell on the couch and placed his feet on the coffee table.

I just stood there, stunned, watching him as he took over my home. "Please, I am not Isabella Swan. I told you, my name is Emma Hannah Fawn!"

"Really? About two minutes ago, you were _Hannah Emma_ Fawn. If you're going to lie, keep the story straight." _Damn it!_

He sighed dramatically and stood up, walking towards me. "It would be in your best interest to take a seat Ms. Isabella Marie Swan. I told you I have some important information to share with you."

He pushed me towards the wall and pinned me against it. I could feel his hot breath on my neck and as much as I wanted to fight back, my body had betrayed me and had gone into shock. He grabbed my arm roughly and pushed me towards the couch. With my lack of gracefulness, I landed face-first over the arm and quickly stood back up, only to be grabbed by the back of my neck seconds later and pushed into the couch. I panicked when I couldn't get any oxygen in my lungs, my arms waving widely.

He laughed and released me, causing me to scramble to the other side of the couch. "What do you want with me?" I sobbed in my knees.

"It's simple really; I'm your daughter's father and I want us to be a family."

I stared at him confused, Edward was her father, I was sure of it!

He chuckled at my expression, "If you don't believe me I have proof." He took a few sheets of paper of out the large envelope in his hand and passed them towards me.

I reached my hand out slowly to accept them.

It had an official stamp of _Forks General Hospital_ and _Accredited Testing._ In other words; it looked 100% real.

As I began to read, I could feel my heart beat faster with each word. It read:

_Sixteen genetic loci were tested. _

_Testing process: DNA amplification with PowerPlex® 16 System, detected using the ABI PRISM® 3130xl Genetic Analyzer and analyzed with GeneMapper® ID Software. _

_Interpretation: Based on the DNA Analysis, the alleged Father, JAMIE TRISTAN LIVINGSTON cannot be excluded as the biological Father of the Child, MACKYNZIE ALICE VICTORIA SWAN-LIVINGSTON, because they share the same genetic markers. The probability of the stated relationship is indicated below, as compared to an untested, unrelated person of the same ethnicity. _

_Combined Direct Index: 17,446 _

_Probability Percentage: 99.9982% _

_Therefore, assuming a prior probability of 50%, the probability of paternity is 99.9982%_

The paper floated to the carpet as it slipped out of my hands. _No, this can't be true. He couldn't be the father. Edward Cullen is the father, I'm sure of it. This can't be happening._

When I came to my senses, I noticed straight away that Jamie had me wrapped in his arm, whispering to me and saying 'everything is going to be fine.' But I knew in my heart that everything was _not _going to be _fine_.

I quickly pushed away from him and turned to face the stranger in my home.

"That's a lie; the entire thing is a fake and that's not even _my daughter's _name! I know who the father is, in fact, we're _happily married_." I smirked as I vomited the words without a hitch.

"You really have to stop lying Isabella. It's dangerous to be lying around children; they will pick up the habit and lie all the time, to everyone."

"No, no, you're lying. She looks nothing like you but everything like her _real_ father. Bronze hair, emerald green eyes; you're not her father." _There's no way, it can't be true._

"You're right, she doesn't look like me but she _does _look exactly like my mother." He produced a picture of a little girl with bright green eyes and bronze ringlets. If I didn't know any better, I would think that little girl in the picture was _my_ daughter.

"How do I know that's even you're mother? You could've printed that off! You have no proof." _There, _I smirked internally; _I knew he wasn't telling the truth._

"Oh, that's the wrong picture. Here, look at this one." He showed me another picture, and my heart broke in two; in the picture were a man –that looked exactly like him-, a woman –who reminded me of my daughter- and Jamie holding a bundle of pink. He was smiling at the bundle in his arms while his parents –at least I assumed they were his parents- looked over his shoulder.

Filled with rage, I ripped the picture into several tiny pieces before I collapsed on the floor. _It didn't make sense._ Hundreds of questions floated around in my head, but I couldn't find my voice to ask any of them.

He shrugged as he stared at the tiny pieces on the carpet, "That's fine, I have more." He threw a handful of the same picture on the coffee table then crossed his arms, "I think it's time for you to call the man who has been pretending to be her father this entire time."

I shook my head, "No, it's one photograph and a sheet of paper. That doesn't prove anything!"

He chuckled, "Well, I tried to play nice, honestly, but it seems you just don't want to listen to me today. I'm her father, you're her mother, and Mackynzie Victoria _Livingston_ is our daughter. Don't you remember the night we made our beautiful little girl?" I looked at him, confusion clearly written across my face.

He pulled me towards the couch and forced me to sit as he took a spot next to me. I tried to move to the other side of the couch but he wasn't having it. He quickly wrapped his arm around my shoulder to hold me in place, stroking my cheek as he gazed towards the wall and told complete lies about how we met.

"You were attending college, completing your Early-Childhood Education degree, and I was doing to my masters in teaching. We met at the bar on campus during one of the parties. It was a Friday night, so the bar was fairly crowded. You were with Angelica and I was with Ted. They caught us exchanging glances and she pushed you towards the bar where I was seated. You were already drunk so you probably don't remember any of this." He laughed then continued.

"We talked and danced the entire night and you invited me back to your place. We had sex that night and it was amazing. Even though we met the night before, I knew you were the one for me. I bought an engagement ring the following Thursday and when we went on a date three week later on a beautiful Friday night, I proposed to you. We made love as an engaged couple and only two days after you had morning sickness and you were late for your period.

"We rushed to the drug store, hand-in-hand, and were smiling brightly as we bought a pregnancy test. As soon as we arrived back to your apartment, you ripped the box open and ran to the bathroom. I heard you pacing as you waited for five long minutes, but I was excited when you threw the bathroom door open wearing a smile and nodding with tears in your eyes.

"That was in July and we got married in September; on your birthday to be exact. I'll never forget the way you looked as you walked down that aisle towards me, ready to start our lives together. We stuck to the traditional wedding vows and were quickly pronounced Husband and Wife. Seven months passed quickly and I knew it was time to meet our little girl when you woke me up at four am screaming from a contraction.

"We rushed to the hospital and two hours later Mackynzie came kicking and screaming into the world. We had argued a lot about her middle and last name but eventually came to a compromise. You wanted Mackynzie Alice Livingston-Swan and I wanted Mackynzie Victoria Swan-Livingston. After some discussion, we settled on Mackynzie Alice Victoria Swan-Livingston. She would get your 'best friend's' name as a first middle name, and my sister's name as her second middle name, then our hyphenated last name. It sounded confusing when we explained it to my parents, but eventually they gave up and accepted their grand-daughter.

"We were a happy family for five months until one night when I was away coaching the hockey team I got a call from my sister telling me you had ran away and took our daughter with you. You left me an awful note telling me how you only married me to get a child and financially started, then you had planned that you were going to escape.

"I was crushed, and rushed home without a second thought to find your things and our daughter's things missing. I found your pills in the sink." This was the part of the story that confused me the most.

"You are mentally ill and the doctor prescribed you pills to help with your illness. I noticed that the bottle was full, but the starting date was two months prior. It was obvious you were sick and I did everything in my power to find you and bring you back home. I looked everywhere but you were gone, just disappeared.

"When my sister called me a few days ago and told me that she had found you and our daughter, I packed my bags and flew here straight away. I saw you in the arms of another man, you were laughing and smiling and he was _touching _you. _We _use to be like that, _we_ are _married_. It's obvious that you had forgotten about us, since you lied to my face when you opened the door. Why Isabella, why would you lie to me? The father of our child! You took her away from me and it's time to come back home.

"We can go back to the doctor and get you started on your medication again. You are still sick; I can see it in your eyes. Let's go pack and when Mackynzie gets home from school, we can leave this awful place and start over in my hometown, in New York."

When I knew he was done talking, I raised my right arm –the one furthest away from him- and punched him square in the face, hearing his nose bone snap under the force of my punch. While he was distracted I quickly ran upstairs to grab my phone. I needed to call Emmett, my dad, Jasper, or even Edward to come save me from this man. I can't believe he made up that lie! I have never been to New York and it was the first time I ever saw the man downstairs.

I ran in my bedroom, shutting the door quietly and locking it. I flew towards the nightstand towards my phone and dialed Emmett's number. He was the closest and the strongest; he could save me!

I heard someone answer the phone but no one spoke.

"Hello? Emmett, Rose? Hello?" That's when I heard the familiar voice of my nephew.

"_Ne, Ne, Ne, Ne!" _He yelled excitedly.

"Liam, give daddy the phone please."

"_Ne, Ne, Ne, Ne!" _He repeated.

I shook my head, this was getting me nowhere!

Just as I was about to hang up, I heard Emmett's voice in the background.

"_Liam, who are you talking to? Give daddy the phone, Liam." _

I heard Liam's squealing and Emmett picked up the phone, _"Hello?"_

"Emmett! Em, you have to help me. There's a ma-" I let out a high-pitched scream when I heard Jamie kicking the door of my bedroom.

"_You little, bitch! Wait until I get my hands on you! Open the door right now Marie!"_

"_Bella? Bella, who is there? Is that Edward?" _Emmett voice was becoming louder with each word.

"Em, help!" I whispered into the phone just as Jamie burst through the door. I squealed and threw my phone across the room, praying Emmett would call the police, or come to my rescue; anything to help me out of this mess.

"That wasn't nice Marie. You know better than to run from your husband." The blood continued to gush out of his nose and dry onto his mouth and chin. It dripped down over his shirt and pants as he walked towards me.

"Please, Jamie. Just let me go." I sobbed as he continued to advance on me. When he had me tight against the wall he reached into his back pocket and produced a gun, placing the tip directly between my eyes.

"I can't Marie; you promised we would be a family. Now, you will call _Edward Cullen_ and read exactly what I have written on the paper, understand?"

I glanced at the clock quickly and nodded. The faster I could get rid of him, the better. It was 2:45pm; Mackynzie would be home from school in a half hour.

He pulled out a cell phone and dialed Edward's number, then pressed the speaker button. He stared directly at me as I listened to the phone ring and held the paper with shaky hands.

When Edward answered the phone, his voice was almost in a panic. _"Hello?"_

"You're a liar!" I screamed into the phone. I didn't have to cry, Jamie already had me in tears.

"_Bella, calm down please. What is going on?"_

I held the paper against Jamie's chest so I could read it, "I found Mackynzie's father, her real father."

"_Wh-what are you talking about? Bella, I'm Mackynzie's father!"_

Jamie pointed to the next part, "No, I-I finally found m-my Ja-Jamie. I'm," I gulped as I tried to get my voice back to normal, "going home with him." I said in a rush and I felt the gun dig into my forehead. I closed my eyes as I waited for Edward's response. _How am I ever going to fix this?_

"_Bella, I don't understand. You said you were single. You told me everything about your pregnancy with our daughter, what's going on? Please talk to me." _His voice was barely above a whisper.

I took another shaky breath, "I found my lost love, Jamie Livingston, _he's _Mackynzie's father, not you. You've been using me this entire time, haven't you?" I felt like curling into a ball, Edward is never going to forgive me.

"_Bella, I-I don't underst-understand. Wh-why?"_ I could tell by his voice he was extremely upset. _Oh, Edward, I'm so, so, so, sorry! I hope one day you'll forgive me._

Jamie nudged me with the gun, motioning to the paper.

"Good-bye Edward."

"_Bella, no, wai-"_

"I love you." I said into the phone. It was too late, the call had been disconnected.

"See, that wasn't too hard, was it?" He ran the gun up and down the side of my face. _Please Emmett, where are you?_

"Time to pack." Jamie shoved me towards the dresser and threw the large suitcase at me; I cried out in pain as it came in contact with my leg, Jamie laughed. I sobbed the entire time I was forced to pack, I threw random articles of clothing into the suitcase and forced it to close when it was full. He grabbed me by the arm and pushed me in my daughter's room, grabbed another suitcase and told me to pack. Once he was satisfied I was finish he threw the suitcases down the stairs. I screamed when he grabbed me.

"Calm down Marie and shut up, we wouldn't want to alert the neighbours." He pulled me closer to his side as he walked down the stairs.

We walked into the living room just as we heard someone at the locks, then Alice burst through the front door. I looked at the clock on the wall; 3:15pm. _Oh no, Mackynzie's home. No, no, no, no!_

"Bella, who owns that ca-" She screamed when she same Jamie in front of me.

Hearing her voice he whirled around with a look surprise on his face, but then his expression changed quickly and he smirked, slowly walking towards Alice.

"Well, well, if it isn't little Alice Brandon."

Alice was minutes away from a panic attack. That's when everything clicked into place. This guy, Jamie Livingston, was the same man that had help Alice and her parents' hostage at the bank in the mall. She had told me one night, after waking up screaming and clutching a pillow.

"Stay away from me." Alice tried to hiss, but it barely sounded louder than a whisper.

He walked around Alice, closing and locking the door again before looking back towards us.

"This is perfect; I came for one and got the second one for free! Wonderful, simply wonderful!" He clapped his hands together once and pushed Alice further into the living room. When I knew Jamie –or James- couldn't see my face, I quickly turned to Alice and mouthed, _"Where's Mackynzie?" _

She knew what I was saying and quickly returned, _"Edward's" _I nodded once to let her know I understood.

"Alice, darling, how have you been?" James asked in a casual voice, as if he was chatting with an old friend.

Alice glared at him and stood next to me.

He laughed, "What? No hugs for an old friend? Don't be like that Ali." He winked and got up off the couch, walking towards us. I grabbed Alice's hand and walked around the coffee table in the opposite direction James was headed, staying close to the wall the entire time.

When James' back was towards the window, I could've swore I saw a flash of black in the corner of my eye. I looked out the window behind James as he focused on Alice. I couldn't help but smile when I saw my brother's head in the corner of the window.

James thought I was smiling at him and continued talking to Alice.

Emmett ran passed the window and towards the back of the house, he was sneaking into the back door, just like we had done as kids.

I nodded and engaged in James' conversation –although I had no idea what he was talking about- and waited for Emmett to come around the corner. I squeezed my best friend's hand reassuringly as we shared a look.

We quickly moved so that we made James face towards the window, excitedly telling him that Mackynzie would be getting off the bus any minute –or at least long enough to distract him while Emmett crept around the stairs.

He wrapped an arm around Alice and me, thinking we were warming up to him. I quickly began to hum a random tune loudly when the floor squeaked under Emmett. _Please don't look, please don't look._ Of course he heard it too and was about to turn around when I grabbed him and hugged him tightly, Alice stood by my side in shock.

"Oh, Jamie! I remember, I remember everything. I'm so sorry I forgot." I felt sick at I let the words flow from my mouth.

His eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, "You do?" He whispered as he held me at arm's length, his eye's flicking towards Ali. That's when Emmett ran up behind him, hitting him over the head with a frying pan, effectively knocking him unconscious.

"Emmy." Ali and I cried into his chest as he held us tightly in his arms.

"It's okay, it's okay." He whispered over and over again. We heard sirens getting closer towards my house. Emmett lifted us both around the unconscious man on the floor just as the police ran through the door, resulting a loud bang as it bounced off the wall.

"Police, put your hands up!"

Emmett talked calmly to the officers as he told them what he knew. They took Jamie –who I found out afterwards and confirmed my suspicions', was really James Huntington- and threw him into the back of the police cruiser. I moved closer to Emmett as I watched them drive away.

"Bella, I'm so sorry, I tried to leave as quick as I could but Liam was crying and Rose wasn't home. I'm so sorry." He kissed the top of my head as I clung to his shirt.

"Ali, are you okay?" He asked. Alice was on his other side clutching to his t-shirt too. She nodded and looked at me with red, puffy eyes.

"I'm sorry, Bella, I didn't know he was here. I-I…Mackynzie wanted to go to Edward's and I was going to tell you. I'm so sorry." I released the death grip on Emmett and pulled her into a hug.

"Don't be sorry Ali, you didn't know. I'm glad Mackynzie didn't have to get involved." Alice and Emmett nodded in agreement. We moved to the couch with a female police officer walked in.

"Hello, my name is Officer Brianna Miller, please call me Bree." I nodded and motioned for her to take a seat.

"I'm Emmett, and these are my little sister's Bella and Alice." Bree nodded and wrote something down on her notepad.

"Bella, I know this is going to be hard, but can you reply the details of Mr. Huntington's visit? The faster we find out what happened, the faster we can take it to court; he's going to be spending a lot of time in jail."

I nodded, and with a deep breath I clutched Emmett and Alice's hand and began replaying the details of James' visit. When I was done, Emmett and Alice had their arms wrapped tightly around me and I was crying again.

"Officer, is James Mackynzie's father?" Emmett whispered as he looks through the papers of the paternity test.

Bree shrugs and looks at them herself, "It says that on the paper, but like Bella had told us, he claimed to be married to her. That was a lie, who knows what else he lied about."

"Th-the pic-picture. It was him and his parents, holding my daughter. And his mother, she looks exactly like Mackynzie" I managed to say between my sobs.

Bree notices the pile of pictures on the coffee table and after putting on gloves, she picks up one to examine it. "It's a possibility that this photo was photo shopped, I'll take it with me to the lab." She grabs the family pictures and placed them in an envelope. "The photo of his mother could be anyone who just happened to have green eyes and bronze hair. I can take that one with me also."

Bree stood up and gathered her things. "Let's get both of you to the hospital, there's an ambulance waiting outside."

I paled, I hated hospitals. "I'm fine, just a little shook up."

"I know sweetie, but it is procedure. Once the doctor looks over you, then you'll be free to go back home, I promise." I looked at Emmett then Alice, both of them nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with concern.

With a sigh, I agreed with a nod just as the door bursts open. I turned around and gasped when I saw Edward standing in the living room entrance.

"Bella." His hair is a mess and his eyes and cheeks are red. You could tell he had been crying from the puffiness of his eyes.

"Edward." With as much grace as possible I run into his arms. "Edward, I'm so sorry! Everything I said on the phone was a lie! A man, James Huntington, came here and told me he was Mackynzie's father. At first I didn't believe him but he showed me a paternity test and then pictures of his parents. I didn't want to believe him but the evidence was right in front of me! He forced me to call you; he had a gun to my head, that's the only reason I said any of those things. I wish I could take it all back." I sobbed into his chest, holding onto him as if he was going to disappear.

"Bella, when you called and freaked out on me I didn't know what to do. My nightmares were coming true when you said that you were leaving. I never believed it for one second so I dropped the kids off at my sister's house and drove here as fast as I could. I saw the police cars and began to panic. I had to know you were okay and still here. I just had to see you again."

"I would never leave you, I keep my promises."

Edward nodded, but then he gently directed me towards the couch. We took a seat and I turned to face him, "What's going on?" Now I was the confused one.

"Bella I have something to tell you, and you're probably going to freak out on me and want me out of your life but I want you to listen to everything I have to say, okay?"

I nodded and he was about to continue when he was interrupted by Bree. "Sir, I know you want to talk with her, but we have to get her to the hospital. You can ride with her if you want." Edward looked uneasy as his eyes looked me over a few times, checking for injuries.

"Edward, I'm fine, it is just procedure." With a grateful sigh we followed Bree to the ambulance. Emmett kissed my forehead and walked over to his wife and child. Rose sent me a sad smile and then joined Emmett and Liam in the car.

Once Edward and I were situated in the ambulance –even after I assured the paramedic I was fine- he turned to face me and after a few minutes I gave him a nod, knowing he had something important to tell me.

With a deep breath he began talking again, "When I saw you in the hospital I had so many flashbacks. I saw your face everywhere, at the concert, the club, and then I saw Mackynzie. Although she was pale, and not her happy self, I knew she looked familiar. A week before I saw you I had a number of dreams of a little girl that looked just like her; I thought I was losing my mind. When I saw her, I knew there was a possibility she could be mine and although I didn't know it at the time, I just had a feeling that wouldn't go away.

"I order the tests, just like I told you, but I also order a DNA test; I know it was wrong, and I see that now, but I had to know if she was my daughter. As the hours passed I started remembering more about the night of the concert." He took a deep breath and I reach up and wiped a stray tear from his cheek.

"The test came back positive Bella; she's my daughter, and you're her mother. I don't know what James did to get a paternity test, but I can tell you that it's 100% fake. I'm sorry for getting the test without you knowing but something was telling me it was the right thing to do at the time. I understand if you hate me and never want to see me again but at least let me be a part of my daughter's life. I can't lose her; not after I just got her." Unable to form words through my sobs, I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

I know he did the wrong thing of ordering the DNA test behind me back, but for some strange reason, something was telling me to look past that. My daughter has her father in her life and I'm relieved to know that James faked the paternity test. I don't want that man anywhere near my daughter.

Edward was silent, just staring off into space, as I pondered over my thoughts. Just as he sighed and was about to leave my embrace, I knew it was time to speak but didn't get a chance as the ambulance came to a stop and the door opened for us to get out.

Nurses and doctors were waiting at the entrance for Alice and me as we were ushered into wheel-chairs and quickly moved to an empty exam room. I moved to the bed and laid down, Edward stayed by my side the entire time. I closed my eyes as I felt a headache coming, but wished I hadn't when I opened my eyes and saw a bothered-looking Edward.

"I'm sorry, I just closed my eyes; I didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm just worried about what you had to deal with; what that monster put you through."

"He didn't hurt me, just grabbed me a few times. I'll probably have a few bruises but nothing serious."

"A few bruises are serious enough." He moved my hair out of my face, "I should have waited until you were better to tell you about the DNA test; it just felt like the right thing to do. I understand if you never want to see me."

I took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly, "Edward, I'm not going anywhere, and I'm glad that you're Mackynzie's father. Thank you for telling me, I know it took a lot of courage."

He smiled, "Oh Bella, you don't know what it means to me to hear you say that. Thank you; I'm forever in your debt, what could I do to make this up to you? I mean, I know it's going to take months, even years for you for forgive me for what I did, but I want to start right now."

I reached in and peaked his cheek, "How about that date you promised me?"

"Really? You still want to go on the date, even after everything James did to you today?" I nodded and smiled sadly at him.

"Yeah, I want to forget about James, his fake paternity test and his pictures, and focus on the future, our kids, and more importantly, us."

"I don't think the doctor is going to approve of a date." He teased as I sat up on the bed; it felt like I had to be closer to him.

"Oh really?" I smiled

"Yes, but I don't see a problem with watching a movie and eating in."

I giggled as I felt his sweet breath on my face.

"I'll be okay with that."

He stood next to the bed between my legs and tilted his head down so our faces were inches apart.

"Do you mean that; you really want to give 'us' a shot?" He asked.

I shrugged with a smile, "It's worth a shot; if you break my heart then I would skip the country if I were you because you're going to have two angry men on your back." He paled a little causing me to laugh. "I'm kidding; just don't break my heart."

"My heart is forever yours." With that he closed the distance and our lips locked.

Time stood still as we kissed; our lips molded perfectly and I parted mine, granting him entrance. Our tongues battled for dominance until he let me win and we broke apart, panting.

We shared similar smiles and just stared into each other eyes. "Now _that_ is what you call an amazing first kiss." I giggled like a teenager, still wrapped tightly in his arms as I came back to reality and remembered we were in the hospital.

"That was your first kiss?"

"That I can remember; yes."

"You never kissed a boy in high school; ever?"

I shook my head, "Every boy I ever went to a dance with never spoke to me after meeting my father. When it was time for them to pick me up, my father would turn his chair around facing the door and 'clean his shot-gun', so every boy that ever took me to the dance would never ask me again after seeing my father with his gun." I shook my head, remembering the way Charlie would smile when the doorbell rang, signalling my date had arrived. "But I'm sure he'll go easy on you, considering we have a child together."

Edward looked at me with worried-look on his perfect face, "You don't think he-he'll _shoot_ me? Do you?" he laughed nervously. "I mean, we do have a _child_ and we're not _married_. Isn't there some un-written rule about waiting until _after_ marriage before having a kid that the girl's father obeys, or something?" I laughed at his worrisome expression, kissing his wrinkled forehead, then his nose, then his mouth.

"Or something." I smiled.

He captured my lips again and then pulled back to look at me, brushing a stray hair from my face. "I have to call my sister to let her know what's going on."

I nodded with a smile, "Please tell her not to worry and that I miss the kids."

"Of course," He kissed my forehead just as there was a knock on the door and a male doctor poked his head inside. When he opened the door the rest of the way I noticed it was Carlisle Cullen; go figure.

He smiled as he walked closer to us.

"Hello Ms. Swan, how are you feeling?" He shared a look I didn't quite understand with Edward.

"I'll go call Charlotte." He pecked my forehead one last time before walking out of the room.

Dr. Cullen –or Carlisle- looked at me with a worrisome expression, then I realized he was waiting for me to answer.

"Fine." I nodded as I laid on the bed again.

"That's not an answer, Ms. Swan." He smiled as he wrote a couple things on my chart in his hand.

"Please call me Bella." He nodded and placed the clipboard on the table next to the bed.

"May I look you over to assure there are no injuries caused by Mr. Huntington?" I nodded, noticing how he was using a completely professional tone.

He walked over to the bathroom and came back with a blue gown. "Please change into this, just remove you shirt and pants." He took the clipboard again as he closed the curtain and stepped outside.

I quickly changed into the papery gown and laid on the bed again, closing my eyes as I felt my head begin to pound.

Carlisle startled me when he spoke, "Bella?" I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Are you okay? You seem to be in some discomfort."

I shook my head, "I have a headache; it's nothing."

"Bella, you just spent two hours with a mentally ill man, a headache could be caused by a number of things. Can you sit up for me so I can check for any injuries?" I slowly sat up on the bed.

He raised the arm of my gown and let out a small gasp. I quickly looked at my arm, noticing the large hand-shaped bruise that was beginning to form.

"Are you sure he didn't touch you anywhere Bella?"

"He grabbed my arm a few times, bu-but that's all."

Carlisle nodded and checked my other arm then moved towards my legs. He slowly moved my gown up –as if afraid he would trigger my emotions- and placed his hand around my toes, slowly moving up my foot then my leg, checking for any injuries. I let out a yelp when he applied pressure to my leg just above my ankle and he quickly removed his hand. I looked down to see the extent of the damaged and noticed that it was a mixture of colors and slightly swollen.

"Bella, did Mr. Huntington kick your leg?" I shook my head. "Did he punch it?" Again; I answered 'no'. "Did he do anything at all that you can remember to injure your leg?" I was about to shake my head when I remember the pain cause from the suitcase he threw at me.

"Yes, h-he threw the suitcase at me. The wheel; it must've hit my leg."

"Okay, I'm going to see if it's broken, if I hurt you tell me and I'll stop, okay?" I nodded and he placed his fingers back on my leg, but as soon as he touched it I cried out in pain.

He didn't touch it again, just simply nodded and wrote something on the chart.

I was confused, "If my leg is broken, then how come I didn't notice until now?"

Carlisle gave me a sad smile, "It could have been the adrenaline. Emmett said that you were quite calm when he saw you through the window."

I nodded, "So is that it? Can you stick a cast on my leg and let me go home?"

"I'm afraid it's not as easy as that."

"Of course it's not." I mumbled and tried to lie back on the bed when I felt a sharp pain erupt on my leg. I cried out and Carlisle rushed to my side.

"Calm down Bella, the adrenaline is wearing off and you're going to feel the pain in your leg." I nodded my head as the pain continued. Carlisle gently moved my body on the bed, grabbing some pillows and placing it under my throbbing leg. I feel the tears fall from my eyes and I annoyingly wiped them away.

"Thank you." I whispered as I closed my eyes.

"Bella, honey, can you open your eyes for me?" I nodded and looked at Carlisle. "Good girl, I'm going to give you something for the pain, okay? It's going to make you sleepy but don't fight it. You need some rest; you have been through a lot in the past few hours, okay?"

I nodded and was about to close my eyes when I saw the 'pain medication' in the form of a needle. "Wh-where's Ed-Edward?" I whispered with pain –and slight panic- evident in my voice.

Carlisle smiled, noting my dislike for needles. "He's outside the door, I can hear him pacing. Do you want me to go get him before I give you the pain medication?" I nodded sheepishly and watched as Carlisle moved toward the door. He barely had it opened when Edward pushed him out of the way and ran to my side.

"Bella, sweetheart, are you okay?" I nodded, and gave him a weak smile. His eyes swept over me, stopping when they fell on my swollen leg. "What happened to your leg? Dad?"

I gave Carlisle a smiled, signalling him to explain what had happen to Edward. "From my understanding, Mr. Huntington threw a suitcase at her and it made contact with her leg."

"How is that possible? She _ran _towards me when I got to her house."

"I still don't understand that myself son but right now I can only guess that it was the adrenaline." Edward nodded and grabbed my hand, kissing the back of it.

"Bella, can I give you the pain medication now?" Carlisle asked, holding the needle in his hand.

I nodded and turned my head to face Edward, squeezing his hand when the cold disinfected wipe came in contact with my arm. I closed my eyes tightly as I waited for the pinch of the needle. I heard Edward chuckle and kiss my eyelids. I opened my eyes to look at him and less than a second later I heard Carlisle discard the used needle. I was completely distracted by Edward's smile and didn't feel the usual pain of a needle; not that there is much.

"Okay Bella, all done." I saw Carlisle place a band aid over the little hole the needle had made and write something on the clipboard. "I'm going to send you for an x-ray on your leg, I have a hunch that it's broken but I have to make sure, okay?" I nodded and he continued, "The nurse will be in when they're ready for you."

I watched as he exited the room, closing the door behind him to give us some privacy.

"What did Charlotte say?" I asked as I turned to face Edward, my pain completely forgotten about.

"She freaked out at first and then asked me about you and Ali. She said that Mackynzie resembled me as she paced back and forth in front of the door with her arms crossed, stopping to shake her head every few minutes. She was a little upset when I dropped them off without an explanation."

I laughed softly, "That sounds like her. I always did wonder who she looked like when she acted like that."

He kissed my nose, "Is that a good thing?"

I nodded, "It's a wonderful thing."

"Peter was taking the kids out for ice cream when I was talking to her. He's dropping her off here. They might drop in after, depending if you have to spend the night."

"Tell her to bring the kids in, I want to see my little girl and little boys." Edward smiled as I referred to _his_ children as my own.

"Of course, I'll let her know when she comes, okay?"

"Okay."

We were silent for a few minutes until I thought about my sister –for all intents and purposes.

"Edward, where's Ali? I didn't see her when we came out."

"Shh, calm down, she's in good hands. Dr. Johnson was talking to Jasper when I called Charlotte. They were in the hallway and I spoke with him alone for a few minutes. Alice is perfectly fine, not a cut or bruise, she keeps having flashback of James though; Jasper told me what happened to her and the doctor gave her something to calm her down. She's going to be asleep for a few hours but her panic attacks had drained her energy so she'll need plenty of sleep. The babies are fine though, still perfectly healthy."

"Poor Ali, she used to have nightmares about him." I said as I shook my head, remembering the many nights I would wake up to her screaming and thrashing about in her room and hearing Jasper try to calm her down, but nothing he said would work. That's when he would come and get me to calm her down. He kept telling me how I had magical soothing powers.

"I knew something happened to her parents but when my parents adopted her, I didn't ask any questions."

I nodded and closed my eyes as he played with my hair.

"Bella? Bella, honey?" I opened my eyes and noticed Edward and a nurse smiling at me. "It's time for your x-ray."

I nodded as I watched her pull up the railings on my bed and push me out the door of my room. Edward stayed by my side the entire time, keeping up with the nurse, his hand never leaving mine. We stopped outside the door and that was Edward's cue to let go.

"Dr. Cullen-" the nurse began and Edward kissed my forehead and nodded his head in understanding.

"I know I'll be right here when you come out, okay?"

I nodded as I watched his face disappear from sight when the door closed. There was a male nurse in the x-ray room waiting for us and he carefully moved me from my soft bed to the hard x-ray table. They moved me way this way and that, taking several x-rays, and then replaced me on the bed, pushing me back towards the door.

Edward stood up and smiled as he saw me and grabbed my hand once more. I closed my eyes and shivered as the nurse pushed me back. She spoke to Edward and he answered her, but I didn't understand what they were saying.

My eyes flew open when I felt several blankets being placed over my shivering form. I looked at Edward and smiled as he gently moved the blankets off my leg but arranged them so they were still around my feet.

Carlisle entered the room a few minutes after with a frown on his face. "How are you feeling, Bella?"

I shrugged, "Cold and tired."

He nodded and the frown was instantly gone. "Well, your right leg is broken on your tibia in two places, but it won't require surgery, it should heal fine on its own. I'll send someone in to put a cast on your leg, okay?"

I nodded and closed my eyes again. When Edward kissed me awake -_I love his kisses_- I noticed I had three little visitors, along with Charlotte and Peter.

Mackynzie was instantly at my side, climbing on Edward's lap to see me better. "Mommy, are you okay? I was so worried. Never, ever, do that again. Okay young lady?"

I smiled, "I promise, Miss Mackynzie, I'll never scare you again."

"Good. I missed you mommy." She reached over and gave me a hug and kiss. While her arms were still wrapped around my neck, she whispered softly, "I saw you kissing daddy. I'm so happy we're going to be a family." She kissed me again as she returned to Edward's arms, who passed her off to Peter. She accepted her ice cream again and I kissed and hugged Noah and Ethan next.

"Mommy, Keke was sooo worried." Noah said as he sat in Edward's arms and Ethan in Peter's. Mackynzie was gone with Charlotte to wash her sticky hands.

"She was crying and running back and forth really fast." Ethan added.

"Yep it's true; me and Ethan had to get her under control."

Ethan nodded in agreement, "We thought she was going to eat us!"

"She was soooo mad when we made her sit down. We are her big brothers and we were protecting her." Noah finished and moved over to where Peter and Ethan were sitting on the couch.

I looked at Edward and Peter who shrugged with a smile on their faces. Edward laughed softly and leaned in to kiss me again. Ever since we kissed a few hours ago, I noticed he kisses me every chance he can get –not that I'm complaining.

When Ethan and Noah noticed, they commented with a loud, "EWWWW" just as Charlotte and Mackynzie returned to the room. Mackynzie added a sweet "aweee" over her brother's loud voices.

"Keke, that's gross!" Ethan defended.

"We don't like kisses." Noah agreed.

I watched as Mackynzie turned around so fast her hair flicked against her face. "_What?_" She shrieked. "You don't like _kisses_." She said the word in a high-pitched voice.

Both boys shook their heads with a smile. Mackynzie was about to comment when Charlotte cut in.

"Okay kiddies, time to go. Mommy needs to rest and you have to get to bed. School in the morning!" She added the last part cheerfully and I groaned. Edward stood up suddenly and was checking over me, mistaking the groan as a sign I was in pain.

"What is it, what's wrong? Are you in pain-"

"Edward."

"-I'll get the nurse-"

"Edward."

"-just-just don't move, okay?"

I grabbed his wrist before he could move, "Edward." I repeated for the third time.

He looked at me, "What?"

"Calm down, I'm fine. I was thinking about how I'm going to get Mackynzie back and forth to school with a broken leg, I can't drive."

"That's okay, you can move in with us." Edward realized what he said and instantly tried to backtrack. "I mean, that's if you want to-"

"Edward."

"-you don't have to,-"

"Edward."

"-I mean, you brother is right next door.-"

"Edward!" I yelled causing the kids to jump in fright since they were so engaged in our conversation.

"Yes Bella?"

"Shut-up please."

"Yes Bella." He smiled.

"OUUUUU, mommy said a bad word!" The kids echoed causing us to look at them. They were wearing matching smiles and Noah and Ethan had their hand stretched out.

Edward noticed my confused expression, "I don't swear around the kids and every time I do, I give them a dollar. They made at least twenty off of Peter the first time they met him. He played Wii with them; he wasn't very good." Edward laughed as I looked towards Peter who was smiling.

"That's because they were cheating." He grabbed both boys under his arms causing them to squeal in excitement. Mackynzie matched Charlotte as she placed her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"Boys!" She sighed, throwing her hands in the air dramatically. Charlotte laughed and with a final good-bye, they disappeared out the door. Peter followed close behind with Ethan and Noah under his arms, giggling with excitement.

Edward and I laughed as we watch our kids leave. "Never a dull moment." He said as he grabbed my hand again.

"Did you mean it when you said we could move in with you?"

"NO! I mean yes, I mean-" He laughed before answering the question again, "If you want to. We have room and I'll be there to look after you and get the kids to and from school. I'm sure Alice wouldn't mind picking up and dropping off Mackynzie and the boys can go back and forth with Dad. The daycare is close by the hospital, that's why I picked it."

"Okay."

"I totally understand if you don't, I mean, we only met, and then we found out we had a child, and I kissed you, and now I can't stop, and – wait, what did you say?"

"I said okay, we'll move in with you."

"Really?" his eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

I nodded, "Emmett and Rosalie are working and they have a baby. Alice and Jasper are expecting and my father –well, he's no longer single, let's put it that way."

Edward laughed and grabbed my hand in his, "You don't think we're going too fast?"

I shook my head, "We're perfect and should've seen that all along."

He smiled, "Yeah, I suppose we are." Leaning in to kiss my forehead, I quickly raised my head and our lips locked. We heard a throat clear and turned to see who interrupted our millionth kiss. I blushed when I saw Emmett and Rose in the doorway standing next to a nurse and a cartful of things for my cast.

"I'm watching you." Emmett said menacingly, whether he meant to or not, and dramatically did the hand motions. Edward winced and looked at the floor, slightly frightened.

I laughed, which caught his attention, "Relax, Emmett's too much of a teddy bear to be mean. He wouldn't hurt a fly."

Rose nodded, causing Emmett to smile, "Unless that 'fly' is my baby sister. Don't break her heart and I'll try not to break your face."

Rose and I shared the same expression –mouth open and eyes wide- when we heard the words leave Emmett's mouth.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Edward winked at me, causing me to blush.

Thankfully the nurse chose that moment to cut in and started bandaging my leg, preparing for the cast. When she was done she washed her hands and came back over. "I'll send Dr. Cullen back in, then you should be ready to go home." She smiled and left the room.

"How are you feeling Bella?" Rose asked as she stood next to my bed when the nurse left with the cart.

"In pain, cold and tired." No point in lying, so I told her exactly how I was feeling.

She laughed, "Yeah, breaking a bone would cause you pain." She studied me for a moment before speaking again, "Bella, how exactly do you plan on getting Mackynzie ready for school with a broken leg?"

I opened my mouth, about to speak when Emmett added, "You know you are always welcomed at our house, we could help you look out for Mackynzie and it won't be a problem."

"Actually, Mackynzie and I are moving in with Edward."

"_What?"_ Three voices said in unison. I looked towards the door to see Alice in a wheel-chair being pushed by Jasper. She told him to go faster and came right up to my side, pushing Emmett out of the way to get closer.

"Explain." Alice almost growled.

"Well, I broke my leg and the doctor said that it could take at least six weeks before I get off crutches and another four weeks before I can get the cast removed completely. Since I knew it would be hard to care for Mackynzie with a broken leg, Edward offered for us to move in with him. I accepted his offer." And to make it official, I leaned over and kissed him, directly on the lips.

Alice and Rose squealed with delight, Jasper just smiled, and Emmett huffed and crossed his arms. He was obviously upset how much I was falling in love with Edward; I _am_ his baby sister.

Eventually Carlisle retuned and kindly asked everyone –except Edward whose hand was currently holding mine- to leave. I told them I would see them soon and Edward invited them over to his house on Sunday for a family dinner –after asking me- and they told us they would be there.

"Well Bella, you're cast is on and set and I'm sure you dying to get out of here, so you can get back in your clothes and press the call button when you're ready. From your charts, you've been in here with more than one broken bone so I assume you know how to use crutches?" I nodded and with a smile he continued. "Good, so I'll let you get dressed and I'll return to measure you for crutches, sound good?" I nodded again, thanked him, and he left the room.

I noticed that Edward's mind was running a mile a minute, "Edward, can you help me get dressed?" He looked at me, then the door, and nodded with a small smile. He got my clothes from the locker and helped me with my pants. Being the perfect gentleman he is, he left on my gown and held me with his head turned as I pulled them up from my knees to my waist. He sat me back on the bed, handed me my t-shirt and turned around while I put it on.

I couldn't help but smile when he turned around after I called his name.

"What are you smiling about? Were you checking out my ass?" Honestly, I wasn't. The entire time he had his back turned, I struggled to get off the gown and get on my t-shirt but who says I can't have a little fun?

So I shrugged, "Maybe."

"Pervert." He teased and was about to kiss me when the door burst open and Carlisle walked in.

"Here you are Bella. Now I need you to stand up so I can adjust these to your height." I blushed as I stood up with Edward's help. Carlisle held them under my arms and quickly adjusted them to my liking. He motioned for me to test out the crutches so I did. I was a bit wobbly at first but quickly got the hang of it again. Once Carlisle was satisfied I sat in the wheel-chair and hooked them on the handle on the chair. He handed me a few sheets of paper about broken bones as he continued talking.

"I want you to come back for a check-up every two weeks, okay? I have the appointments booked; the times are on that paper and other than the obvious 'don't put any pressure on your leg' and 'keep it elevated' speeches, you are free to go. I'm sure Edward will take good care of you." He winked, leaving me gapping at his back as he walked out the door.

Edward chuckled, "Let's go home."

**~*~*~FM~*~*~**

When we arrived home, Edward called Charlotte and Peter. Charlotte informed him that the kids were sound asleep and that she would get them ready for school in the morning. Rosalie had gotten Mackynzie's clothes together and she had gotten the boys'.

Edward returned to the couch with two cans of Pepsi and a bowl of chips. He went over to the TV stand and revealed rows upon rows of DVD and BluRay discs.

"Pick a movie." He smiled.

I shook my head, "You pick, I'll pick next time."

"Are you asking me on another date Ms. Swan?"

"Yes, yes I am, Mr. Cullen." He smiled, mumbling 'tease' under his breath, and then picked a random movie. He cursed lowly when it wouldn't go in the DVD player fast enough then grabbed the remote and joined me on the couch.

After arriving at his house, he gracefully carried me straight to the couch, ignoring my pleas that I could walk. He just shook his head, distracting me with a kiss every time I was about to protest. I internally sighed, _I love his kisses. _

After our first kiss at the hospital, I couldn't lie to myself any longer; I was totally and utterly in love with Edward Cullen.

He treated me like a princess and carefully placed me on the couch before quickly running to the hall closet to grab some pillows and blankets. He had my leg perfectly elevated and I was covered up to my chin in fuzzy blankets. He placed several pillows behind my back and then disappeared into the kitchen.

When he started removing the pillows from behind me, I felt like smacking myself in the forehead; of course he would sit behind me. We are on a _'date'_.

I snuggled into him further as the movie began. An hour and a half later the end credits were rolling on the screen, the chips were gone, and the empty cans were on the coffee table in the bowl. Edward was snoring softly behind me as I stared at his beautiful face from my spot on his lap. About half way through the movie, he moved me so my head was resting on pillows in his lap; he was playing with my hair the entire night and eventually fell asleep.

I looked back at the screen, but couldn't remember even thirty seconds of the movie that we were 'watching'. Honestly, I didn't even know the title!

As I continued to watch his peaceful face, I felt the urge to pee. I had been sitting down all da, and I did drink a lot of fluids. I looked around to my crutches, trying not to wake Edward, but when I couldn't find them I knew I had no other choice.

"Edward." I said, as quietly as possible, but loud enough for him to hear. "Edward." I repeated again, a little louder this time. I was about to say his name for the third time when he slowly opened his eyes and looked down at me, he looked confused at first, then realization hit him as he smiled.

"Hi." I whispered, knowing he was still half asleep.

"Hi." He smiled, looking at the clock on the wall. "Bella, it's passed midnight! Why didn't you wake me? I'm sorry I fell asleep on you; I'm not a very good date."

"Edward?" He looked down at me.

"Yes Bella?"

"Shut-up please."

"Yes Bella."

"One more thing?" I asked between giggles.

"And what would that be?" He teased.

"Help me to the bathroom? My bladder is going to explode."

Realization crossed his features as he carefully moved me into a sitting position, jumped off the couch, and grabbed me bridal-style, smiling playfully the entire way.

He gently sat me on the side of the tub and asked for the tenth time if I was okay; I reassured him I was fine and he walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Every few minutes I heard his voice through the door, I would answer his question, and he returned to his pacing once more. He sighed in relief as I turned on the water –his signal to open the door- and smiled as he watched me wash my hands. He reached around me to the cabinet and handed me a new toothbrush and unopened tube of toothpaste and then kissed my cheek as he told me he was going to get the bed ready.

When he was out of sight I felt a frown forming on my face. _I'm not sleeping in his bed with him?_

_Of course you're not Bella! He only kissed you. _

I forced a smile as I saw him in the mirror and continued to brush my teeth. Once I was done, he picked me up again and walked upstairs without even breaking a sweat. I looked down the hallway and waited for him to tuck into bed in one of the guest rooms. Imagine my surprise when he took me straight to his room.

He must have noticed my confused expression because a frown appeared on his face and sat on the bed once he got me in a comfortable position, "Bella honey, are you okay?"

I shrugged, "Yeah, just a little tired." I played it off as nothing.

"I hate seeing you upset, please talk to me." He stared as me for a few minutes then realization hit him. "Did you think I was going to send you to the guest room tonight?" I nodded meekly, as I ducked my head, embarrassed that I even thought of that.

"Oh honey, look at me." I did and he continued, "When I kissed you, that sealed the deal, you're mine whether you want to be or not. I'm falling in love with you Bella, all over again."

I smiled at his words, "Really? You-you're falling in love with me?"

He nodded, "How could I not? You're an amazing person; beautiful, kind, loving, and best of all, accepting - even if I don't deserve it."

"Now _that_ is a lie. You deserve forgiveness, because I'm kind of falling in love with you too. It scared me at first, when I started getting these feelings, that's why I didn't want to say anything."

"I'm doing more than falling in love with you. I'm _in _love with you."

I giggled, "I'm in love with you too."

"Really?"

"Really." I smiled as I leaned in to give him one last kiss.

As we broke a part panting, he cupped my chin and looked directly into my eyes, "Bella, I love you."

My stomach fluttered and I smiled brightly, "I love you, Edward."

He wrapped his arms around me, and that's how we fell asleep; surrounded in love and happiness. It was decided then, that we are really meant to be a real family; I just hope we don't run into any more obstacles along the way.

The next morning I woke to a sharp pain in my leg. At first I started to panic, then I remembered everything that happened the day before. I looked to my left to see Edward sleeping peacefully, tangled up in one of the many blankets on the bed. I leaned over the best I could with a full leg cast, and kissed every part of his face; his forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, chin, and finally, lips. That's when he decided to wake and moan as he deepened it. When I pulled away, he opened his eyes.

"That's a wonderful way to wake up." He laughed and pulled me into his arms.

"I don't know…" I started but was quickly silent when his lips locked with mine again; yes, I could definitely get use to this. When he pulled away, I must have been showing signs of pain because he quickly jumped out of bed and ran to his bathroom. He returned with two red pills and a tall glass of water.

"Here, take these."

I looked at him with my eyebrow raised, "You know it's illegal to have your own supply of pills, Dr. Cullen." I accepted the pills and glass of water as he got back into bed with me.

"Well Ms. Swan, you know that I have a secret supply so you must stay here forever."

"Oh no, that sounds horrible."

"I'm sure I could make it worth your while."

"Oh yeah," I challenged him, "and what exactly would you do to convince me to stay for eternity?"

He pretended to pondering over his thoughts for a minute before he moved closer to me; our faces only inches apart. "How does a lifetime of kisses sound?" He kissed me for a brief second then pulled away.

"Perfect." I captured his lips again and he wrapped his arms around me after reminding me to take the pain killers in my hand.

We laid in silence for a few minutes before my stomach made a loud growling sound.

Edward laughed before covering it with a cough, "I think someone's hungry." He teased as he lifted me off the bed.

"I'll make you a deal, you release my crutches from your clutches and I'll go to the bathroom myself while you start making breakfast."

"Hmm, as tempting as that sounds, that means I wouldn't be able to carry you around all day." He laughed as he sat me on his bathtub, kissing my forehead and returning to the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

When I was done washing my face I sung out to him and he opened the door less than two seconds later. He grabbed me in his arms again and returned me to his bed, handing me a TV remote and placing the pillows under my leg to keep it elevated.

"I'm going to make you breakfast in bed and you're going to relax and watch TV. Got it?"

"Yes Mr. Kidnapper, sir." I teased.

"No funny business."

"Whatever you say."

"I'm serious."

"Okay, I believe you."

"You don't want me to punish you."

"Oh, no, what kind horrible punishment would I have to endure?"

"Let's see; millions of kisses, or millions of kisses, or, the worst punishment ever, billions of kisses."

"Hmm, maybe I might be naughty." I wiggled my eyebrows as he mumble tease and walked out of the room when my stomach made a loud sound again.

I must have fallen asleep while waiting for Edward to return because when I opened my eyes, Edward was hovering above me, planting little kisses all over my face and neck.

"Wow, you were right, this is a great way to wake up." I laughed and he laid next to me on the bed.

"Are you hungry? I have food."

I nodded excitedly, causing him to laugh as he reached towards the floor and produced a tray full of freshly made food. There was toast, ham, eggs, bacon, and sausage on several plates, and two tall glasses of orange juice.

"You haven't eaten since yesterday dinner time; I thought you would be hungry."

"Thank you." I smiled as we began eating. When I was done I realized he was right; I was hungry. I cleaned my plate, and –as bad as it sounds- I finished off his; I felt like one wrong move and I would explode. When I shared this with Edward, he laughed.

He brought the dishes downstairs and returned minutes later, crawling back into bed with me.

"Can we go back to sleep?"

"Anything my love desires." _My love; I like the sound of that._

We were woken several hours later by the phone ringing loudly. Edward answered it, falling back into bed.

"Hello?"

I heard yelling on the other line.

"What do you mean he escaped?"

Edward quickly sat up in bed and kept shooting worried looks at me as he talked to the person on the other line.

"Alice, Alice, calm down. Let me speak to someone so they can explain."

He paused, nodding to himself several times.

"Thank you, I know Alice can be a handful at times. Please keep her calm, we're on our way."

He jumped out of bed and changed into his clothes and running into the bathroom. When he came out minutes later he noticed me in the bed, staring at him.

"Edward, what's going on? You're scaring me."

"Bella, when I tell you this, I need you to stay calm, okay?" I nodded, unsure of what I just agreed to.

"That was Alice, she was letting her class listen to music on the radio and the news station cut in. She didn't think anything of it and was about to turn off the radio when she heard the reporter's voice. James Huntington escaped from prison and they think he's after Mackynzie." If Edward said anything else after that, I didn't hear him because my world faded into darkness. _James is after my baby._

**Soooo, what did you think? **

**Many things happened in this chapter;**

**1. We found out who the stalker was; James! Was it really a surprise?**

**2. Edward and Bella kissed! 26 TIMES!**

**3. Bella broke her leg :(**

**4. Edward asked Bella and Mackynzie to move in with them**

**5. Bella said yes! EPP! **

**6. James escaped from jail…DUN DUN DUN!**

**7. Everyone thinks James is after Mackynzie! **

**See, told you there was a lot of action. **

**Same deal with reviews for all my other chapters. **

**Review = sneak peek of chapter 14!**

**10 or less reviews = Update by/on April 3****nd**** (Busy weekend, might not get much done)**

**15+ reviews = Update by/on April 1****st**** (Studying for finals. Might not be exactly on that date, maybe the day after. And no, I won't 'April fool' you guys. :P)**

**20+ reviews = Update as soon as I get it finished and my beta sends it back to me. (Maybe by Thursday, March 29****th****)**

**I'm going to leave it there, and post the chapter. Hope you like it, and leave my thoughts in reviews. I love reading them! Even if they are only one word. **

**Love, **

**Maddie**

**P.S The person with the funniest review will get a shout-out. Finals are 18 days away and I need all the cheering up I can get!**


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: I'm so sorry this chapter is late but I'm studying for finals which are two weeks away and I just didn't have a chance to write this past week! **

**First I want to thank my beta, mommyof3boys, who edit this within 48 hours! What can I say, she's amazing!**

**Secondly, to all my reviews! I'm sorry I didn't send the sneak peek, but your name is written down and you'll get a sneak peek of Chapter 15. If you review this chapter too, I'll make it longer :)**

**Thirdly, thanks to everyone who added me to their alert/fave list! I forgot to thank you last chapter and I'm extremely sorry! **

**Finally, this is going to be the last chapter until April 21****st****. I know, its sucks, but I have 4 finals within the next three weeks and I just can't afford to not study. Also, I have three is a row, Math, Geography, and Psychology so I **_**have**_** to study. But don't worry, AFTER April 21****st**** I'll be back and kicking! **

**Now, without further ado, here's chapter 14!**

* * *

><p><strong>Edward's POV<strong>

My mind was overwhelmed, and it didn't help anything when Bella fainted right in front of my eyes. I quickly went into doctor mode and checked her pulse. I sighed in relief when I felt a strong steady pulse. I carefully moved her to the bed so she was comfortable and gently tried to wake her. It didn't take long before I was staring into her deep brown eyes.

"Hi, how are you feeling?" She was a little confused, but it was to be expected, she did faint. Although she woke up faster than normal, I shrugged it off as worry and didn't think anything of it.

"I-I don't know, wh-what happened?" I smiled and moved a few stray hairs out of her face.

"Baby, you fainted."

She smiled a little before she became confused once again, "Wh-why?"

"James escaped from jail. They think he's going after Mackynzie."

"We have to save her Edward; he's not taking my baby from me."

"Hey, Bella, baby calm down. Alice is with her and as soon as she heard about James she called the police station and there are officers all over the school. Jasper and Emmett have gone there too. Mackynzie is safe; James is not going to take her, okay?"

She nodded and wrapped her arms around me, letting tears run down her face. "I just don't want my baby to go through what I had to Edward; she's still my little girl."

I smiled, "I think she might argue with you there." Bella looked at me confused. "When I called her a little girl she freaked out and told me she was five years old and she would soon be six, that means two hands. She called herself a big girl."

Bella laughed softly and shook her head, "She will always be my little girl, no matter how old she is."

We fell into silence after that, and my mind kept drifting back to the dream I had the night before. Me, Bella, Mackynzie, Noah, and Ethan, were sitting around the kitchen table. There were two smaller children in highchairs there too. The little girl looked about one, and she had my green eyes and Bella's chocolate brown hair, she sat on Bella's left. On my right was a little boy with Bella's hair and eyes, he looked a little bit older than the girl, and since he was talking I guessed he was about two or three.

I looked at Bella and she smiled and placed a hand on her stomach, it was huge and it was obvious that she was pregnant. She held my hand with her free one and smiled at she stared into my eyes. I looked down at our hands and noticed we were wearing matching wedding rings.

I smiled as I remember the older children yell 'eww' as I leaned over to kiss my wife. I would love to have a real family with Bella; to get married and have more children. And I promised myself that I would do it right this time. We'd have to work on our relationship more, but the kiss yesterday in the hospital was a great start and then last night she slept with me.

"Edward?" I looked at Bella who was smiling. "You seem happy, what are you thinking about?"

I shook my head "Nothing important; just thinking about the dream I had last night."

"Oh yeah? What was this dream about?" Bella asked.

"Us, the kids, we were happy, sitting around the table, eating dinner like a family." I didn't tell her about being married, or having more kids; I just got her and I didn't want to scare her away so soon. She hummed and rested her head on my shoulder. We fell into silence again for a few minutes before she spoke.

"Do you think James really escaped?" _What am I supposed to say to that?_

"I don't know. I mean, it's possible, but I can't see the police letting him escape under their noses."

"Can we go get Mackynzie? I don't like her being so far away from us."

I shook my head, "I wish we could, but the police officer I spoke to on the phone told me to stay here. If James really did escape, he could have a car or a weapon. It would do us no good if we get hurt trying to save Mackynzie. I wish I had a better answer for you." I sighed as I kissed away her tears.

"It's just hard knowing she's out there all alone. I miss her Edward." I moved closer to her body and we stayed wrapped in each other's arms as she cried herself to sleep.

"I miss her too, love. We'll get her back, everything will be fine, I promise."

I jolted awake to the sound of my phone vibrating. Without looking at the caller, I quickly answered it.

"Hello?"

"_Hello, may I speak with Mr. Edward Cullen please?"_

"Speaking." I sat up the best I could with Bella's tight grip on my body and carefully moved away from her, replacing where my body had once been with a pillow so she wouldn't wake. I waked into the hallway as I listened to the voice on the other end.

"_Mr. Cullen, I'm sorry if I called at a bad time but we have some information regarding your daughter. We were informed to contact you or her mother if anything came up."_

"Yes." I confirmed. Bella had spoken to the officer beforehand and informed them to put my name and number on the contact list since I was her father.

"_We got reports back that Mr. Huntington has left the school and followed a mother and child across the border. We found the identity of the mother and child and they have agreed to lead him towards Washington where the police are going to trap him and force him to surrender. He will be sent back to jail and then taken to a maximum security prison where he has no chance of escaping."_

"So where is my daughter now?"

"_She's still at the school. Alice Hale assured us that she's in good hands. She will be traveling home with Mrs. Hale, and surrounded by police escort. There will be no possible way Mr. Huntington will be able to get your daughter."_

"Thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to Bella and I. If we lost her…I don't even want to think about it."

"_Don't worry Mr. Cullen; I will personally make sure your daughter gets home, alive and well."_

"Thank you Officer…" _Did he introduce himself?_

"_Swan. Charles Swan. Good day Mr. Cullen."_

_Swan? As in Bella and Mackynzie Swan? Fuck, was that her father?_

I stared at the phone even long after the line had gone dead. My little girl was okay, and coming home with her aunt who she trusts.

"_Edward?"_ I heard Bella sing out to me and it was then I realized that I was still in the hallway. I quickly walked to the bedroom and opened the door. She smiled when she saw me.

"I'm right here, just had to take a call, that's all." I looked at the clock on the bedside table and noticed it was almost eleven thirty am. Mackynzie would be home soon and I needed to get her snack ready for her. Then right after, I needed to pick my boys up and make another snack for them.

I got back under the blankets and held her tight to me. "Who was on the phone?"

I laughed, "An officer; he said that James is chasing a mother and her daughter towards Washington where the police are going to catch him. The mother knows that he is following her, so she's going to avoid stopping as much as she can. It's only a twelve hour drive and they were well into their second hour when the officer called and told me. He wanted to make sure James was still following them before he gave us any news."

"So where's Mackynzie?"

"She's still at the school with Alice. Alice wouldn't let the officer take her and bring her home. She wanted to personally see that her niece got home safely."

"I'm glad our daughter is safe. I don't know what I would do if I lost her, or Ethan or Noah. I know they're not my biological sons but they fit the position perfectly. I love them like my own."

I smiled and kissed her nose, "And they love you like a mother. They are happy to have a mother-figure and a sister."

She repeated my actions, "Mackynzie told me that she's happy we're going to be a family."

"I'll try to make our children happy, but it takes more than one person to be a couple."

"Edward Cullen, are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" I felt myself blush and mumbled 'yes' into her neck. "I didn't quite catch that, what did you say?" When her eyes caught my own I showed her nothing but love and adoration. I really did love her.

"Sorry, I said 'yes, I would love to go out with you, Bella Swan."

"Then I guess it is official."

I laughed and kissed every inch of her face, "I guess it is." I said before capturing my lips with hers.

We cuddled in the bed for a little longer until we heard Alice's car pull into the driveway. We both got dressed and I carried my _girlfriend_ downstairs to meet our daughter. At first she didn't like the idea of me carrying her everywhere, but now that we're officially going out, she's using it to her advantage.

As soon as Mackynzie came through the door she ran to Bella, who was now laid on the couch, and hugged her tightly.

"Baby girl, mommy was so worried. The bad man will never get you again, okay sweetie?" I escaped to the kitchen with Alice while they talked.

"How is she Alice?" I asked my sister who was sitting on the stool next to the breakfast counter sipping her glass of water.

"She was perfect through the entire thing, her normal self, but most importantly, she kept me calm." I smiled; she's like her mother for that I guess.

"What really happened? The police only gave us the 'need-to-know'. I know what you told me, and I was talking to Chief Swan –trust me, I didn't know it was him- but they only kept telling us that you and Mackynzie were fine and the police had control on the situation."

"There's not much more to tell from what you were told on the phone. I heard James had escaped from prison and it was rumored that there was a note left in his cell stating that he was getting his daughter back. I knew right away he was talking about Mackynzie so I called the police to inform them. They arrived at the school within minutes and Mackynzie, Mary –the principal-, two officers and I were sent to another room. Mary did her best to keep me calm and Mackynzie kept complaining she was bored. Emmett and Jasper arrived and stayed with us so Mary could contact a substitute teacher for the remainder of the day to be with my students. Jasper had taken over trying to keep me calm and to not panic and Emmett was keeping Mackynzie entertained. I heard her though, she kept asking was I going to be alright, and as much as Emmett assured her that I was going to be fine she didn't believe him.

"We found out after a few hours that James had given up trying to find a way into the school when he saw a woman and her daughter –that look identical to Bella and Mackynzie- leave the school. He thought it was actually them trying to escape and started chasing them. The last time I was talking to the police, the mother, Chelsea, and her daughter, Jane, was safely driving with James following them. They have a police car behind them but it doesn't look suspicious because it's an undercover car and James would never recognize it.

"The plan is that when they stop at a hotel for the night the police officer will act as Chelsea's cousin and is driving the rest of her items back to Washington for her. Chelsea actually came up with this plan herself, so we have to contact her when this is all over and thank her and her daughter for being so brave."

I nodded in agreement, "Wow, you know a lot more than we did, but I'm glad some random stranger's would help us out."

"The little girl, Jane, is in another kindergarten class. I have spoken to her mother before and I think she is doing this to get revenge on James' attack on her husband."

Well, that made sense, kind of.

"Oh daddy?" Mackynzie said in a sing-song voice as she walked into the kitchen.

"Yes Princess Mackynzie?" I teased as I picked her up and sat her on the counter.

"Princess Mommy and Princess Daughter are hungry. We order you to get our snacks!" She produced her 'magic princess wand' from behind her back and waved it in front of me.

"Any what if I don't?" I teased as I made 'spiders' with my fingers and moved them closer to her, causing her to squeal.

"I will turn you into a frog! Bobbidi-Biddidi-Boo!"

"Then I guess I better get your snacks your highness." I bowed and picked her up over my shoulder, causing her to giggle as her hair fell down around her face.

"Daddy! Put me down right now!" She squealed as I carried her back in the living room and plopped her down on the loveseat, being careful to not hurt her.

"I'll make you a deal." He eyes lit up at the sound of that. "I'll make you and mommy a sandwich and I'll find some markers for you to draw on mommy's cast, how does that sound?"

She clapped excitedly, "Perfect! Two peanut butter and jam please!" I looked over at Bella who was silent during our entertaining conversation. She smiled and nodded her head in agreement with her daughter. _I have two of the most wonderful women in my life!_

I quickly returned to the kitchen where my sister was smirking into her glass.

"What?" I asked as I grabbed the ingredients I needed to make my girls some sandwiches. "Would you like one?"

She shook her head, "The smell of jelly has been making me sick but it should be fine if you keep the jar over there." I nodded and continued my task, when she spoke again. "I love seeing that smile on your face and I think it is funny how Mackynzie has you wrapped tightly around her little finger already. You better be good to them Edward, and I don't just mean Mackynzie. Bella has raised that little girl on her own for five years, then all of a sudden you come along and now she's staying with you until her leg heals. Just be careful, okay?"

"Alice, I promise I won't hurt her, I'm taking my time and doing things right the second time around. It was like God gave me another chance with Bella and I'm being extra careful this time, I don't think I'll get a third chance. Besides we're practically together." I finished the sandwiches and returned to the living room where the girls were snuggling together on the couch. I placed the tray on the coffee table and helped Bella sit up. I noticed that Mackynzie had signed her name and drew a picture on Bella's cast. I'll have to make sure I get a better look at the picture later on tonight.

"Here you are my ladies, two PB&J sandwiches for the princesses with two glasses of milk, one white and one chocolate. Anything else your highnesses?"

Mackynzie shook her mouth full of food and I smiled, giving both of them a quick kiss before returning to the kitchen once again, this time to face a million questions from my sister.

I waited patiently for the questions as I cleaned away my mess. What I didn't expect was two small arms turn me around and pull me into a hug.

"Oh Edward, I'm so happy that you finally came to your senses and agreed to go out with Bella! You two will be the perfect couple, I just know it."

Even with her pregnancy of twins, my sister was still glowing. She was just over a month and due to her small form you could tell there was a difference in her weight.

"Thanks Ali, I promise I'll make her the happiest woman alive."

"I know you will Edward, it was meant to be." She kissed my cheek then walked into the living room where Bella and Mackynzie were eating. I finished cleaning the kitchen while I thought over what my sister has said. She had this weird way of knowing things before it happened and it always freaked me out when she knew my mark before I showed her, or when I got home late but my parents were gone out so I never got in trouble, but right now, I'm thankful for her talent and I really hope it was meant to be for Bella and I.

I sat with my girls on the couch until I had to go get my other children. Mackynzie was bouncing with energy and asked to come too. Alice told me that she would stay with Bella until I got back so with a final kiss goodbye to my girls I left the house.

Ethan was excited to see me but Noah didn't look too well. He raised his arms for me and when I picked him up he rested his head on my shoulder, his little arms wrapped tightly around my neck.

"Noah, buddy, what's wrong?" He mumbled something but I didn't catch it. Before I could ask again his big brother stepped in and explained.

"Noah wasn't feeling well since we ate daddy. Ms. Morgan wants to talk to you. She told me and I remembered!" He said the last part with a smile. I quickly praised him and told him he was my little helper, and then walked into the classroom to speak to their new daycare teacher.

She was sitting at the desk when I walked in; when she heard Ethan's voice she looked up. "Oh, hello Dr. Cullen."

"Ms. Morgan, Ethan said Noah was feeling sick."

"Yes, I noticed he wasn't his normal self after they had their snack. He felt a little warm and was complaining of a bad stomach. I asked if he wanted me to call you but he said he was feeling fine. There was only twenty minutes left anyway so I kept a close eye on him in case he got worst."

"Oh, thank-you, and I guess I'll take him home so he can rest."

"Okay, I'm sure Ethan will catch me up on what's happening tomorrow, right Mr. Cullen?" She asked Ethan. He grinned proudly at being called 'Mr. Cullen' and nodded his head.

"Thanks again, you have a good day."

"You too, Dr. Cullen. Good-bye boys."

Noah didn't speak, but Ethan said good-bye for both of them. Just as I was about to leave the classroom I heard Ms. Morgan call my name. I turned around when I passed Ethan his coat.

She was walking towards me, "I almost forgot to ask how Bella is doing? We heard about her leg, the poor thing." She shook her head and helped Ethan with his coat since he was having trouble with the zipper.

"She's good, still in a little bit of pain, but the cast should come off in about two months."

She nodded and patted Ethan on the back when he was all bundled up. "That's good, I'm glad to hear she's alright. Please let her know I'm thinking of her, and I'll give her a call later on tonight. We did our internship together so she is one of my close friends."

"I'll be sure to pass on the message and I'll let you know if the boys will be at daycare tomorrow. If Noah is sick then the bug is going to be air-born."

"Feel better Noah." He nodded his head against my neck and it was only then I notice how hot he felt. I quickly said good-bye and hurried Ethan to the car, strapping in Noah while Ethan assured me he could buckle his own belt.

I checked over Noah quickly for any signs that I could diagnose right away but other than a mild fever I didn't find any. With a sigh I, got in the driver's seat and pulled out my cellphone. If I didn't know what was wrong with my son, my father might.

"_Hello, Dr. Carlisle Cullen's office, how may I help you?"_

"Hi Jessica, can I speak with my father please?"

"_I'm sorry sir, but Dr. Cullen is in a meeting right now. Can I give him a message?"_

"Jessica, it's an emergency, transfer me to my father please."

"_He specifically told me to handle all his calls. I'm sorry sir." _

"I will see to it that you are out of a job if you don't let me speak to my father." I hiss in a somewhat calm voice, afraid of scaring the children.

"_Sir, I-"_

"_Bye Esme, give our grandbabies a kiss from me." _Something wasn't right; my father wouldn't hold all the calls just because his wife came to visit him. _"Jessica, who's on the phone?"_

She must have covered the mouth piece because her voice was muffled. _"I'm sorry sir; Dr. Cullen is busy and can't take your calls. Have a nice day." _Before I could get a word in, she hung up the phone.

I quickly called my house and Bella picked up on the second ring, _"Hello?"_

"Hi Bella, I just called to let you and Alice know that I won't be home for a few hours. First I have to get Noah into see a doctor, and then I have to fire my dad's secretary."

"_Edward what's wrong?"_

"Noah has a slight fever and was complaining with abdominal pain after they finished their snacks. Ms. Morgan asked him if he wanted to go home but he declined saying there was nothing wrong. I think it may be his appendix but I want my dad to take a look at him before I jump to conclusions."

"_You're on speaker, Mackynzie is playing in her room and Alice heard everything."_

"Mom is on her way home, I'm sorry for keeping you Ali."

"_Don't worry about it; it's nice to have some girl time."_

"Give Mackynzie my love and I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Daddy, my tummy hurts." Noah moaned from the back seat.

"Don't worry buddy, Daddy's taking you to the hospital, okay?" I watched him through the mirror and he nodded and closed his eyes again. "How are you feeling Ethan?"

"Good." He whispered, watching his brother closely.

"No pain? Do you feel sick?" He shook his head and for the moment I felt relief.

The drive to the hospital was quick due to the small amount of traffic. I quickly parked in a 'parent's only' space and took Noah in my arms, I grabbed Ethan's bag from school and took his hand as I walked into the hospital.

I didn't bother to stop and register him; instead I went directly to my father's office. When I got there I walked straight passed Jessica, and knocked on the office door. I heard a faint 'come in' and Ethan opened the door for me.

"Edward, boys, what are you doing here?"

"Poppy it's horrible! Noah is sick and he is really hot and he has bad pains! Please fix him poppy!" Ethan wailed and flopped on the couch near the door.

Dad laughed and kissed his grandson's head before turning to me, "Now tell me what's really wrong."

I filled my dad in on what I knew, giving more detail then Ethan and he wasted no time directing us to an empty exam room. Ethan followed silently, and like a good big brother, he sat on the chair next to the bed and held Noah's warm hand.

When he was done looking him over, he gave Noah a blanket and cold cloth for his head. He left the room to go collect the results from the blood work he had to take.

"Daddy, I'm hungry." Ethan said, looking up from his mini leap-pad.

"I'll make you a deal, if you keep being a good boy, when we leave the hospital we can stop into McDonald's and get you and Mackynzie something okay?"

He face lit up since McDonald's was a treat only if they were extremely good, "Okay, but what about Noah, he won't get a toy." He looked thoughtfully at his little brother. "I know, I'll give him my toy! He can play with it if he has to stay in the hos-tible."

"_Hospital_," I corrected him, "he'll really like that. But since you're being so nice to give up your toy, I'll buy you another one, okay?" He nodded and went back to reading.

Dad retuned with some papers and after he checked over Noah one last time he leaned against the bed, facing me. "The blood work came back normal, no signs that we're dealing with an appendix attack. Edward, have the boys ever gotten the chicken pox?"

I thought back through the four years of their lives and shook my head. That was something I seen a lot in the kids part of the hospital but I always made sure I was showered before I returned home.

"I think he's getting the chicken pox. His fever is around a hundred point two degrees right now; he has abdominal pains, feeling sick, and a sore throat. Those are common signs of the chicken pox. You should see a rash within the next day or two, and if he's around Ethan than I would watch for signs with him as well. You should ask Bella if Mackynzie has had the chicken pox before you bring Noah back home. If she hasn't, then both of them are welcomed to come and stay with us until the boys are better, although it's best to get them at a young age."

_Of course I would freak out over something as simple as the chicken pox. _

"Thanks dad. I'll be sure to let Bella know. Would you mind walking to the car, I have something to tell you not for little ears." I glanced at Ethan who was busy reading his Leap-pad and Noah who was asleep.

"Of course, come on kiddo." He said and then scooped Ethan up in his arms causing him to laugh.

I gently grabbed Noah and settled him on my shoulder then walked to the car. Once the kids were buckled in I closed the door and turn to look at Dad.

"What is it you had to tell me, son?"

"I think you should fire Jessica."

"Why, I haven't had a problem with her."

"I called and she wouldn't let me speak to you, even though I pointed out that you are my father and it was an emergency."

"_You _called? Jessica said it was some telemarketing company with the wrong number. I'm extremely sorry, Edward. I will speak to her as soon as I get back. Say hi to Bella and let Noah get some rest when you get home." I nodded and said good-bye, getting in the car and calling Bella.

"_Hello?" _She answered, and then squealed into the phone. _"No, bad, don't do that." _

"Hi Bella. Everything alright?" I laughed.

"_Edward! Hi, yes everything is fine. How's the boys?" _

"That's what I called about actually. Noah is showing signs of the chicken pox and I was wondering if Mackynzie had them. Dad said that if Noah is showing signs then it is possible that Ethan will too since it's highly contagious."

"_No worries, Mackynzie had them last year! And what a painful week that was. I pity you Edward if both of the boys get it. One little girl is bad enough to watch twenty-four-seven, but you're going to have your hands full with two."_ She laughed, but it was the best sound in the world so I didn't care.

"Okay, just wanted to make sure. We'll see who's laughing when they're all better. I'll be able to handle both of them, and you, no problem!" I should have probably bit my tongue but I couldn't stop before the words were out.

She laughed, _"Okay, I'll take you up on that. Hurry home, I want to see my kids and my boyfriend."_ My heart skipped a beat when she called me her 'boyfriend'.

"I'll be home soon, I promise. Before I go, can I speak to Macaroni for a minute?" Emmett introduced the name to me during the power outage, and it's been stuck in my head ever since.

"_Sure, one minute." _I listened as she called for Mackynzie and seconds later I heard my little girl's voice. _"Hi Daddy."_

"Hi Macaroni, I'm buying Ethan some McDonalds, do you want some too?"

"_Yes! I'll have Chicken Nuggets and fries please! And root beer to drink! And a girl toy! I think they have 'My Little Pony' now, so I want Rainbow Dash! Got to go Daddy, I'm playing with Aunt Ali. Bye, I love you."_

I laughed at her excitement and repeated her order in my head, "Okay princess, go have fun, love you too baby girl."

I hung up the phone and drove toward McDonalds, repeating her order several times in my head. _What in the world is a Rainbow Flash? Wait, that doesn't sound right, was it flash? Smash? Dash! That's what it was; Rainbow Dash._

I asked my patient little boy what toy he wanted. "It don't matter daddy." Was his reply.

I went through the drive-thru and ordered their meals –getting an extra Happy Meal for Noah in case he asked for it after-, a burger and fries for myself and a Chicken wrap for Bella. Alice politely declined when I asked her, saying that McDonalds was the last thing she wanted to be craving.

I paid for the food and headed home. Noah slept the entire way so when we got home Ethan ran in the house to get his sister and they helped me bring in the bags of food while I carried Noah.

I quickly said hello to Bella and Alice and then headed to the guest room downstairs to place Noah until we got ready for bed. I checked his temperature and noticed it had increased quite a bit since we left the hospital. I woke him up to give him some Tempera-drops and then he settled back to sleep.

Closing the door quietly, I kissed my sister good-bye and walked to the living room where the kids and my new girlfriend was eating. I settled down on the floor next to Ethan and ate mine.

The night passed fairly quickly, and just before I got Ethan and Mackynzie settled for the night, I heard Mackynzie's cry for help. I quickly run upstairs to see her standing just outside the bathroom door and watched as Ethan laid on the cold floor.

"Ethan buddy, speak to daddy please."

"I don't feel well daddy." And he leaned over the toilet but nothing came out of his mouth. I felt his forehead and confirmed that he was also producing a fever. He was holding his head with his hand and crying as I carried him to his bed.

Mackynzie watched as I tucked Ethan into bed after giving him some Tempera-drops. "Daddy, is he and Noah going to be okay?" A single tear fell from her eye and I quickly closed the bedroom door and held her in my arms.

"Of course baby girl, remember when you had the chicken pox?" She nodded and raised the hem of her shirt to show me her tiny scar that was left behind.

"Well, Noah and Ethan are getting the chicken pox so they are going to be sick for about a week. I'll need a special helper for the whole week! Do you know someone that can be my helper?"

She nodded, her smile slowly returning, "I'll be your helper daddy, cause mommy said that I'm the best helper ever!"

"That's great, and at the end of the week I'll give you a special surprise for helping me, okay?" She nodded and gave me a kiss and hug before entering her room and climbing into bed. With Jasper and Emmett's help, most of Mackynzie's clothing and toys had been brought over here until Bella is ready to move back home. Hopefully by the end of the two months, I'll have enough courage to ask her to move in permanently. I know that we have a long way to go, but I'm hoping these next two months will help us out a lot.

I had just taken Noah to bed after checking his fever, and was getting ready to take Bella upstairs when I heard Mackynzie cry out because Ethan fell on the floor. I had forgotten about Bella until I walked downstairs again, when I saw her she looked ready to bolt from the couch. I grabbed her in my arms before she could ask any questions and once we were settled into bed, I explained what had happened.

With a final kiss good-night, we both drifted off to sleep wrapped tightly in each other's arms.

It was only a short while after that I woke up to Bella whining my name. The window produced a little light so I could see Bella as she wrestled with the blankets, trying to push them off of her. When I went to help her, my hand brushed over her skin and I instantly pulled it back; she was burning up.

I was in 'doctor mode' –as the kids would call it if they got hurt- in a second and quickly turned on the light to get the thermometer out of my bag. Bella protested when I was about to stick it under her arm.

"Bella, you're burning up. Please let me check your temperature." She reluctantly raised her arm to let me place the device there. After about thirty seconds it beeped and I removed it. My eyes widened at the number; 102 degrees.

"Bella, are you having any other pains besides running a fever?" I asked, placing the thermometer on the dresser and returning to the bed.

"Just my leg."

I nodded and tried not to smile, "Bella remember when I asked you if Mackynzie ever had the chicken pox and you told me yes?" She nodded slowly and I continued, "Did _you_ ever have the chicken pox?"

Realization swept over her face and she closed her eyes, groaning loudly. "Please don't tell me I'm getting the _chicken pox_! I can't, I had the vaccination as a kid, and they told me there was a ninety percent chance that I would never get them. The chicken pox virus was spreading in the school and my dad took me to the hospital and demanded I have something to prevent them because he 'didn't want to deal with chicken pox'. Apparently my mom had them a week after they started going out and she almost died from them."

"There's still a ten percent chance that you could get them. The only early symptoms of the chicken pox are low-grade fever and tiredness. I'll keep a close eye on you during the next few days because chicken pox in adults is more severe than children, like you said, your mom almost died from them." I smiled when she looked at me and got an extra sheet out of the hall closet. I arranged it so it was only covering below her waist and fixed the blankets on my side.

After checking quickly on the kids, I settled back into bed and gave Bella a quick kiss. She was already asleep so I turned over and tried to get some rest myself because I knew this next week was going to be tough; two kids with the chicken pox, and a girlfriend with a broken leg and the possibility of the chicken pox. Yep, I'm going to have a fun week.

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><p><strong>And there you go! No more drama for the happy couple; for now. <strong>

**Who else saw the 'girlfriend/boyfriend' thing coming? Because I sure didn't until my brain comprehended what my fingers had typed. **

**And three people with chicken pox, two of them being kids, this next chapter is going to be fun to write!**

**Usually this is the part where I drag on about if you give me a certain amount of the reviews I'll post on a certain date. **

**None of that this time; okay, well maybe **_**one**_** deal. **

**If you can give me at least 20 reviews for this chapter, then I'll write another chapter before April 21****st****. But I need 20 reviews first! **

**And as per usual, whoever reviews gets a sneak peek, and if you reviewed Chapter 13 and 14 then you get an extra-long one. **

**If you skipped everything else, PLEASE READ THIS! If you have any ideas for events in this story please let me know! The chicken pox thing came from my dream but I'm not dreaming up these kind of things every night! LOL! So let me know if you have any ideas at all and I just might use them in the following chapters! :)**

**Loved always (and falling to sleep), **

**Maddie**


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of it's characters.**

**A/N: I'm sorry I've been MIA for a while but I needed to take a much needed break after finals! I'm back and reading to write now :)**

**Major thanks to my amazing beta, mommyof3boys, who returned this to me only hours after sending it. **

**Thanks to all who reviewed, you all got your sneak peek on Saturday! **

**This is late, but Happy Mother's Day to all mommys out there. **

**Without further ado, I give you chapter 15!**

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><p><strong>Edward's POV<strong>

I woke the next morning to Ethan calling my name. I quickly pulled on my pyjama pants and a t-shirt and walked down the hall to his room. He was sprawled out on the bed, tangled in his blankets.

I smiled and helped him get free, feeling his face and neck in the process; he still felt really warm.

"Daddy I have to pee." He said as I fixed his blankets around him.

"Okay, you go pee; I have to grab the thermometer from my bag." He nodded and I walked back to my bedroom. I quickly located the children thermometer –the one that is placed in the ear- and returned to his room.

He was back in bed when I walked in and Noah was laid next to him. Although they have separate rooms now, they begged me to build a door connecting their rooms. After much persuasion, I granted their request, even adding a 'secret fort' between the hidden doors.

I checked both of their temperatures and made a note to mark it down. I quickly checked them over for any sign of a rash and when I found none, I kissed them both and turned on their TV. It was only 5:30 am and I could use a few more hours of sleep.

I walked back to the bedroom where Bella was laid across the bed, her broken leg still elevated by the pillows, and blankets pushed on the floor. I laughed as I carefully fixed her and then quickly checked her temperature. Not as high as last night, but it still didn't look good for her.

I recorded the temperatures and times in a notebook I kept in my bag and then settled back in bed.

Sometime later I felt Bella moving next to me. I opened my eyes to see her trying to maneuver to the foot of the bed with her huge cast. When I chuckled lightly her head whipped around to face me. I put my hands up in surrender and asked her if she needed some help. She nodded with a frown on her face so I quickly came to her aid. I lifted her effortlessly and brought her to the bathroom then went to check on the children.

The boys were still sleeping but Mackynzie was missing from her bed when I opened the door to her bedroom. Panic flooded through me as thoughts of James floated through my mind. I was brought back to reality when I heard her sweet innocent voice behind me.

"Daddy, are you okay?" She asked.

I nodded, unable to form words and knelt down to her level to quickly hug and kiss her.

"Good, where's mommy?" I smiled at her, just holding her in my arms –my little girl.

"She's in the bathroom; want to help me with breakfast?" She nodded excitedly and I let her down to go wash her hands. I returned back to my –our- room just as Bella was opening the bathroom door. I scooped her in my arms, giving her a kiss, grabbed a blanket and pillow, and walked downstairs.

"Are you hungry? Mac and I are making breakfast." She nodded as she got situated on the couch.

"A little, but nothing too heavy, I'm feeling sick." I handed her the remote just as Mackynzie entered the living room. She skipped over to the couch and gave her mother a kiss and hug before raising her arms to me. I swept her into my arms without a second thought and walked towards the kitchen with my little girl.

We took our time on making the food, and she helped where she could. The police advised us to let her go to school today, but with three people with chicken pox in the same house, there's still the chance that she could spread the virus. As a doctor, I knew it was best for her to stay home and not spread the disease, as her father I didn't want to let her out of my sight after what happened with James the day before; I wasn't ready to lose her after just getting her.

Just before the food was finished I told Mackynzie to go wake her brothers and she happily skipped to the stairs, only to return minutes later with a frown on her face and her arms crossed in front of her, stomping her feet the entire way for good measure.

"What happened sweetie?" I asked, trying not to smile at how much she looks like her mom when she gets mad.

"They wouldn't wake up but I _heard_ them laughing before I went in!" She said and slumped on the stool next to the island.

"How about you bring mommy's breakfast in to her, and I'll get the boys up, okay?" She nodded and carefully grabbed the plate of food and glass of orange juice.

"Ethan, Noah, time to get up." I gently knocked on Ethan's bedroom door before I opened it and stuck my head in. They were laid in the bed, side by side, wearing matching smiles. For two little boys who are sick they sure have a lot of their normal energy.

"I made pancakes and eggs." I bribed them. I knew they were awake. Just like I had planned, Ethan's eyes popped open and he quickly sat up.

"Did you say pancakes? And eggs?" I nodded and he quickly scrambled out of the bed and towards the door. I grabbed him before he could escape and checked him over for a rash. He didn't show any signs yet but his fever had almost disappeared.

"Go get dressed and get your brother up too. Then come downstairs okay?" Ethan nodded and grabbed his pyjama top. At one point last night he was burning up and shed his shirt. When I heard him moving and went to check on him, I noticed he was sweating so I fixed his blankets around his legs and helped him get settled back into bed.

I returned back downstairs to my girls to see them cuddling on the couch watching TV. As the TV came into view I noticed exactly what they were watching; home videos. They were laughing and giggling as Noah and Ethan played on the inflatable water slide.

"What are you watching?" I asked as I sat at the foot of the couch, taking Bella's feet in my lap.

"I wanted to watch a movie, and I found this one. They are so funny daddy!" Mackynzie giggled as she continued watching my boys on the TV.

_On the video_

_Noah and Ethan climbed the slippery path to the water slide, both giggling and smiling as they lost their grip and slid to the bottom, splashing into the water. _

Mackynzie laughed as she watched her younger brothers' slip and slide.

_Noah looked at the camera smiling, "Lolly watch meee!" He said excitedly as he made a big jump and landed on the slide, splashing into the water. Charlotte laughed behind the camera and turned her attention on Ethan who did the same thing on the other slide. _

"_Come on Peter, it's your turn."_

"_I can't believe you're making me do this!" Peter said as he climbs up the 'rock wall' with much difficulty. He was almost at the top when the boys, wearing matching grins, tipped over the water catcher at the top of the play set, causing Peter to slip back down into the water. _

_Charlotte and two more people were laughing at him while the boys slid down the slides again and jumped on his back. _

I sighed quietly as I watched the video, its times like this that I hated working on a day shift at the hospital during the summer months. I missed so much of my boys growing up and playing together. Luckily Charlotte and Peter were their babysitters and my sister taped every minute that I missed.

"_I'll go get their lunch Charlotte."_ A voice that sounded like my mother said in the background.

"_Okay mom." _Charlotte said, confirming my suspicions.

_Charlotte joined in with the boys' laughter as Peter tried and failed to climb up the slippery rock wall. Mom's voice rang out through the garden calling them over to the house for their lunch. _

"_Noah, Ethan, say bye to daddy." _Charlotte said as they climbed out of the pool with Peter.

"_Bye daddy!" _Both of them said excitedly.

The video ended after that and the screen turned bright blue, signaling the end of the tape.

Ethan walked down the stairs with Noah close behind him. They noticed us in the living room on the couch and quickly ran over to join us, being careful of Bella's broken leg as they climbed on my lap.

"What are you watching?" Ethan asked, resting his head on my shoulder.

"We're watching you, silly!" Mackynzie smiled brightly.

"Can we watch us too?" Noah asked, looking a tad bit confused.

I smiled and stood up with both of them in my arms, then place them back on the couch. Mackynzie left Bella's side and walked with me towards the TV stand where all the home videos were kept. She picked out a random tape and I helped her push it in the VCR. Mackynzie returned to the couch and I started the tape, and then walked to the kitchen to grab our breakfast.

I arranged the four plates and cups on a tray, along with a carton of orange juice, and walked to the living room where the kids and Bella we're smiling at the TV.

I sat the plates on the coffee table and the children sat on the floor to eat and watch the video. I usually don't allow them to eat anywhere but the table, but since they're sick and Bella has a broken leg, I let it slide for today.

After pouring their orange juice –which was full of vitamin C- I turned my attention to the TV.

_The video started. _

_Noah and Ethan, about two years old, were sitting on their play-mats with toys surrounding them. _

"_Ethan, what do you have in your hand?" Charlotte asked sweetly from behind the camera. Ethan looked at the red fire truck curiously before smiling proudly at the camera and holding it high in the air for Charlotte to see. _

"_Fire fuck!" He yelled excitedly. _

"_Noah can you say fire truck?" Charlotte asked Noah who was watching his over-excited twin brother. _

_He shook his head at the camera. _

"_Fire fuck!" Ethan yelled again. Laughing could be heard in the background. _

"_Ethan, say 'Oh, truck'." Peter said from somewhere in the background. _

_Ethan copied his actions and raised his hand to his face, "Oh fuck." More laughing filled the room as the toddler swore. _

"_Noah say 'frog'." Charlotte said._

_Noah smiled at the camera as he said –what he thought was- frog, "Fruck." To him it sounded like 'frog' but to anyone listening it sounded like he was saying 'Fuck'. _

"_Say it again Noah, really loud." Peter cheered him on, trying to get him to say it again. _

"_Fruck." Noah said, smiling as he played with his brother. _

"_Ethan can you say 'Frog'? Charlotte asked. _

_Ethan nodded his head, bronze curls bouncing as he did. "Fruck, fruck, fruck." He said as he smiled at the camera. Laughter was heard in the background as their aunt and uncle made the innocent two year olds swear. _

"_Peter, are you teaching my grandbabies bad words?" Dad's voice asked as he came into view of the camera and sat next to the twins on the floor._

"_They're not swearing dad, get them to say 'fire truck' or 'frog' and see for yourself." Charlotte defended her boyfriend of two years. _

"_Ethan, can you say 'frog fire truck'." Carlisle asked the twin on his right. _

_Ethan looked at his grandfather before giving him a big toothy smile, "Fruck fire fuck." Carlisle looked shocked for a second then his laughter broke through. _

"_I'm home. Where are my babies to?" I announced from somewhere in the house. _

_Ethan and Noah turned their head to the sound of my voice and smiled when they saw me walk in the living room they were playing. "Dada!" They said excitedly. _

"_Ethan can you say 'fire truck' for daddy?" Charlotte asked while my father tried to contain his laughter. _

_Ethan smiled at the camera, then me, "Fire fuck!" He held up his toy, showing me his new word. The expression on my face was priceless. _

"_Noah, can you say 'frog'?" Charlotte asked the quieter twin who was watching his brother. _

"_Fruck!" He said, matching his brother's excitement. _

"_Charlotte Cullen! You're teaching my babies bad words." I finally said, astounded. _

_The video ended. _

"Daddy, was fire truck a bad word?" Ethan asked as he turned to me, showing me his messy face.

"No buddy, but it sounded like you were saying a bad word." He accepted my explanation, like I had hoped he would and turned back to his plate, shoving more eggs in his mouth.

I noticed Noah was quiet, but he was fidgeting on the floor next to Mackynzie. He was about to scratch his back with his fork when I called his name, "Noah, are you itchy?" He looked at me in surprise that he had been caught and nodded sadly. "That's alright kiddo, come let daddy see." He crawled into my lap and I lifted his shirt to see his back. Sure enough, there was a bunch of tiny red dots beginning to form all over his back. I quickly checked his forehead and face and was happy to report that his fever was gone.

At that point, I knew breakfast for me was over because I had sick kids to attend to. I grabbed the Calamine Lotion from the bathroom and laid Noah on the bed in the guest room downstairs. I took off his t-shirt and gently rubbed the lotion over the tiny dots. He kept saying it was itchy and he needed to scratch them, but after much convincing, I told him that it would only make it worse if you scratch. I gave him a pair of mittens so if he did scratch, it wouldn't affect him so much than if he scratched with his bare fingers.

After I checked Noah over once more for any spots that I missed, I told him to send his brother in so I could check him again. Less than two minutes later Ethan came in the room, scratching at his neck.

"Don't scratch buddy, it will only make it worse, okay?" He nodded and laid on the bed. I quickly covered his spots which had developed in a few short hours, gave him a pair of mittens to help with the scratching, and then washed my hands so I could check over Bella too.

When I was about to lift her, she began to protest, but I ignored her and took her to the bedroom, turning on Treehouse for the kids before I left the room. I asked her to raise her shirt so I could see her stomach and after a few seconds of hesitation she complied. I made a mental note that she wasn't showing any signs of a rash even though the boys were.

I leaned down to kiss her but was stopped short when I heard three voices echo "EWWWW". I laughed as I sat up and looked towards the bedroom door which was open a few inches even though I closed it. Six tiny feet echoed down the hallway as they ran back to the living room without getting caught. I shook my head and kissed Bella anyway.

When I returned to the living room, we were wearing matching smiles. I placed Bella back on the couch and collected the empty dishes, carrying them to the kitchen to put in the dishwasher. I called Alice and then Charlotte, letting them know that the boys and Bella had the chickenpox and, although they both had it as children, it would be dangerous to be around them until it was no longer contagious. They reluctantly agreed to wait until I said it was okay to visit and told me that they were going to plan a shopping trip instead to buy 'Get Well Soon' gifts for the kids and Bella.

When I hung up the phone, I called my parents.

"_Hello?" _Dad answered the phone.

"Hi dad, you were right about the chickenpox. Ethan and Noah have a rash today and Bella still has a fever, but no rash."

"_Just keep letting them rest, and cover them with Calamine lotion and the spots will turn into scabs in no time. What do you mean Bella has a fever?" _

I laughed, "Turns out that Bella didn't have the chickenpox yet. When Mackynzie had them, the vaccine she had as a teenager was still working, but when I returned home with the boys, I noticed Bella had a fever a few hours after they were in bed. When I asked her about it, she told me that she never had the chicken pox, even though Mackynzie had them when she was one."

"_It's possible though, I've seen that vaccine do wonders, but she may be in that ten percent who gets the chick pox even though they have been vaccinated." _

"I did my research when she told me, and I found that too. Are you sure it won't be anything other than the chicken pox?"

"_Don't worry son, she should be fine. Yes, she has the chicken pox, but she won't have it as bad as the boys, in fact she might only get about seventy-five to one hundred and fifty rashes compared to the boys." _

I nodded, then I realized I was on the phone, "Thanks dad, I'll keep you posted."

"_Your mother and I are here if you need us son, we're only a phone call away."_

We said our good-byes and I returned to the living room. I stopped short when I saw the scene in front of me; Bella was laid on her back on the couch and Noah, Ethan, and Mackynzie were in her arms snuggled against her, all of them fast asleep. I smiled and grabbed a blanket from the chair, gently laying it over them. I kissed each of their heads gently and, after turning off the TV, I went upstairs to my office to call the hospital, letting them know I wouldn't be in for the remainder of the week but I'll keep them updated on the situation. They were very understanding, knowing that I was exposed to the virus and could spread it to the newborns, and young children in the hospital.

When I was done talking to work, I called the boys' daycare, and then Mackynzie's school. Alice had updated them on the situation and the daycare understood as well, sending their 'get well' wishes to the three of them.

I caught up on some of the work I had missed yesterday and today, and then checked on my sleeping kids and girlfriend. Once I made sure they were deeply asleep, I returned to my bed, setting the alarm for a few hours' time, and fell asleep myself, catching up on what I had missed the night before.

**-One week later-**

"Daddy?" A soft voice whispered next to my ear, followed by tiny fingers tickling my nose. "Daddy, I have to get ready for school, I'm hungry!" Mackynzie said, and I could almost see the pout on her perfect little face as she tried to wake me.

"Mommy he won't wake up." I heard her say, and then felt the bed move. Bella's hot breathe was next to my ear as she whispered into it.

"If you don't get up, I'm going kiss you."

I smiled but didn't move, "Mm, why would I want to wake up now?" I teased with my eyes still closed.

"Did I say 'kiss', I meant tickle." Bella giggled and I felt her and Mackynzie's hands move rapidly across my ribs, trying to wake me up by tickling me. They found my tickle spot and I jumped, opening my eyes just in time to see Mackynzie lose her balance where she was sitting on my stomach and fall between me and Bella.

I grabbed her in my arms, giving her and Bella a kiss before climbing out of bed to get dressed. I sat her on the floor and she ran out of the room.

"What a good way to wake up." I smiled as I kissed Bella again.

Bella's rash had only lasted a few days and was now completely gone. All that was left were a few scabs that had yet to disappear. Noah and Ethan, on the other hand, were still covered from head-to-toe in little red dots, and showed no sign of going away anytime soon. Dad assured me that every kid was different when it came to the chicken pox but it shouldn't last longer than two weeks.

Since Mackynzie wasn't contagious anymore, she was allowed to go back to school starting Monday, -today- and I was able to return to work. Bella had been using her crutches all week and she's getting really good with them, but since I'm returning to work and Mackynzie will be in school, mom offered to stay with her in case she or the boys needed anything.

"I have to go get our little girl ready for school, but then I'll be back, okay?" Bella nodded and turned into face the wall, going back to sleep. I smiled as I got ready then walked out of the room to check on my children. The kids' bedrooms were empty but when I heard their hushed voices float up the stairs, I knew they must have snuck downstairs at some point while Mackynzie was waking me up.

Mackynzie was dressed in a pink t-shirt that read 'With this smile, I can get away with anything' and a frilly pink and purple skirt. I smiled as I noticed the tiara on her perfectly curly hair. She may dress herself, but she can sure mix-and-match her clothes.

The boys, being their normal selves, were still in their PJs and their hair a mess. _My boys!_

I continued to the kitchen where I noticed three boxes of cereal and a carton of milk was already on the counter. I quickly grabbed the bowls and spoons, then pour cereal into each bowl followed by the milk. I placed the bowls on a tray and carried it towards the living room.

Noah and Ethan was on the floor in front of the coffee table while Mackynzie stood in front of the TV trying to turn it on but it would keep flicking back off. The boys were giggling at her as she got frustrated. My eyes landed on Ethan's hand as he held the remote and pressed the power button causing the TV to turn off. I held back my smile and place their breakfast in front of them.

"Something wrong with the TV honey?" I asked, getting her attention. She nodded and pouted but walked to the coffee table where her cereal and juice was.

"It keeps turning off on me daddy."

"You eat, and I'll see if I can fix it." She smiled and began eating.

I shot a knowing look Ethan and he knew he was caught. Slowly he placed the TV remote on the coffee table, causing his older sister to glare at him.

"ETHAN!" She yelled, completely flabbergasted.

"Sorry Mac." Ethan apologized sadly, giving his best puppy dog eyes. Mackynzie sighed and opened her arms towards him.

"Give me a hug and I'll forgive you." She smiled sweetly at him. Ethan looked at me and I just shrugged causing him to slowly crawl towards Mackynzie and let her wrap her tiny arms around his shoulders.

He scowled as he took his seat next to his brother when he notice Noah was holding in his laughter.

"It's not funny, daddy tell him it's not funny!" Ethan pouted as he stared at his cereal.

"Eat your breakfast Noah." I said, shaking my head and leaving the kids to watch TV.

I got ready for work while I waited for Mom to arrive so I could leave for work, and take Mackynzie to school. Christmas was around the corner –only two weeks away- and each day the kids were getting more and more excited.

Most of the snow had melted from the storm but there was still enough to force Mackynzie to bundle up for school since the teachers would take the children outside once they ate their lunch. Mackynzie was reluctant in wearing her 'baby snowsuit' that she wore for the snowball fight, so after arguing with both me and her mother, Bella gave in and called Alice so she could get a new snow suit for her. She also got matching ones for the boys, and the children were overjoyed.

When I returned to the living room, Mom was washing Mackynzie's milk covered face, and her hair was tied up neatly in two braided pigtails.

My mother kissed me on the cheek as she walked by with the dirty dishes, and I called Mackynzie to the porch to get her snow suit on her. Once she was bundled up, I kissed her forehead and told her I'd be right back.

Making my way through the house and up the stairs I returned to our bedroom only to find an empty bed. Just as I was about to call her name, two arms snaked around my waist and kisses peppered my neck.

I turned around and smiled down at my girlfriend, "I just came up to let you know that mom is downstairs and I'm leaving now."

"Esme didn't have to do this, the boys are four, it's not like they are babies."

"She wanted to, and I couldn't say no when she argued that she missed her grandbabies, and her daughter."

Bella smiled and moved her arms from my waist to my neck, using her arms to raise herself on one foot, she kissed me twice before lowering herself back down.

"Be careful, I love you. Give Mackynzie hugs and kisses, okay?"

"I will, and I love you too baby, get some rest."

She shook her head, "I need food, carry me downstairs?" She batted her eyelashes. _How am I supposed to say 'no' to that?_

I kissed her again before lifting her effortlessly in my arms and walked downstairs. I gently placed her on a chair next to the island in the kitchen and after kissing my boys, left the house with my daughter in my arms. The poor little thing was too bundled up to move so I ended up carrying her from the house to the car, and the car to the school where she removed her clothes with the help of Alice.

Once she was undressed, she ran in the classroom with a bunch of kids, before she disappeared out of sight she turned around to face me. Quickly running back she gave me a kiss and hug, before saying "I love you daddy." I couldn't help but smile as she entered the classroom with her friends.

"Well, _daddy_, looks like you're wrapped around her tiny little finger." Alice said as she hung up the children's snow clothes. "She'll be fine Edward, don't worry about her, you have a job to get to. Now, go."

With a quick hug from Alice I left the school and headed to the hospital.

The day dragged on, and not a minute went by that I didn't think of my girlfriend and kids. I've been thinking about a Christmas present for Bella for some time now, and I think I have finally decided on the perfect gift. We have been together for a few months, and my boys treat Bella like a mother they never had, while Bella treats them like her own children.

Saturday I took Mackynzie with me when I went to the grocery store. I had promised her a new toy of her choosing since she was such a great help last week. As we left the grocery store, we walked passed a jewelry store where a large selection of engagement rings caught my eye. When I stopped walking, Mackynzie turned to look at me.

"What's wrong daddy?" She asked. "Are we going to the toy store?"

I smiled down at her, "In a minute okay? I want to look at something." She nodded and followed me into the jewelry store. Her toy was long forgotten when she noticed 'all of the pretty princess things'. While she was occupied with the necklaces and tiaras, I was focused on the engagement rings.

My eyes locked on a simple yet elegant ring, and I knew that this was the one I wanted to see on Bella's finger, if she accepted my proposal. I showed the jeweler the ring that I wanted, and when I made sure Mackynzie was occupied I handed her my credit card and paid for the ring. I had to find out Bella's ring size before I made the purchase official but just knowing I had a ring for her, I knew it wouldn't be too hard to sneak a ring to find out her size.

The jeweler had just handed me back my card when Mackynzie called my name. She had a pink sparkly purse in her hands and the cutest smile on her face.

"Can I get this princess purse daddy, please?" The sale associate who had kept her occupied gave me a small smile with a shrug.

"I thought you wanted a toy?" Although I just bought her mother an engagement ring, I was afraid to look at the price of the bright pink purse.

She shook her head, her bronze curls bouncing around her face, "I want this purse! It's only for princesses!"

She was just like her mother when it came to getting her own way; reluctantly I paid for the purse which was surprisingly only ten dollars. When we arrived at the toy store to find her brothers a small surprise, she saw a _FurReal_ puppy that she 'had to have because it matched her purse'. The dog had pink and white hair, and after much begging and puppy dog eyes I bought the dog for her. She picked out two light-up and sound making _Lightening McQueen_ cars for the boys.

I was about to leave work when I got a call from the Jeweler informing me that the ring was ready for pick-up. I had found out Bella's ring size that evening when I noticed she was trying on her jewelry with Mackynzie. When I mentioned rings, she told me that she was a size six and Mackynzie was a size two. I smiled when I retold the information over the phone and she told me the ring would be ready within the next week.

I walked out of the Jewelry shop with a smile on my face and an engagement ring in my pocket. Next on the list, get her father's blessing, the children's' permission, and then Bella to say 'yes'. _I can do this. I think._

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><p><strong>Was it worth the wait? Leave your thoughts in reviews, and remember, the more reviews I get the faster I'll update! It's been requested to bring James back into the story, so I'll see what I can do with that. <strong>

**The videos I used in this chapter can be found on Youtube, just search Kid saying Fire truck, and Kid saying Frog and you should be able to find it. **

**As always, reviewers get a sneak peek! **

**Love always, **

**Maddie**


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight! All right belong to SM.  
><strong>

**A/N: Well, it's been some time since I posted a chapter. Just over 4 months to be exact, but in my defence, I was so busy this summer working every day, and then school recently started up again, I just didn't have time to sit down and write. And honestly I was going through a bit of a writers block for a few months. **

**I finally finished this chapter and just received it back from my beta! Major thanks to Mommyof3boys would beta'd this for me :) **

**I think that everything I had to say! Sadly there's only a few chapters left, and I don't think there will be an epilogue - unless you guys want one. (Review and let me know! 8D )**

**See you at the bottom!**

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><p><strong>6:30pm, December 31, 2011<strong>

**Bella's POV**

I smiled as watched the Cullen house buzz with excitement. It was New Year's Eve and Carlisle and Esme invited everyone –including Charlie, Emmett, Rosalie and Liam- to their house for the event. The kids were in the 'toy room' watching re-runs of Christmas shows while the adults sat around the living room.

I was finally out of my full length cast and getting used to walking with a knee length cast. It's been challenging but Edward's been by my side every step of the way. Speaking of Edward, he's been disappearing all night and really…different.

"Mommy?" Mackynzie's voice brought me back to the living room. I looked towards at my little girl and smiled.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Where's daddy?" She whispered.

It was then I noticed the seat beside me was currently empty, as well as my father's seat. "I don't know princess, was there something you needed him for?" She shook her head, her bronze ringlets bouncing around her face.

"If I find him I'll let him know you were looking for him okay?" She nodded and skipped off again.

I slowly got off the couch and made my way towards the kitchen. Just as I was rounding the corner I heard Edward's voice.

"I hate this Em! This night was supposed to be perfect, and now it's ruined because of her." My hand flew up to my mouth, _was he talking about me?_

"Just calm down and ask her to leave. If she refuses then tell Carlisle; he'll get her to leave." I heard my brother's voice; that traitor!

"She still loves me, I can tell by the way she looks at me, but I can't do this anymore; I have to let her go." Edward sighed. I backed away slowly and then began looking for my daughter. If Edward didn't want us around he could have said instead of talking about me to my own brother.

Mackynzie was sitting with Ethan when I found her.

"Mac, come pack your things, we're leaving." She turned towards me.

"But Momma, we can't leave daddy and Ethan and Noah!" She argued, it broke my heart to do this to her.

"Mackynzie Swan, we are leaving. Please get your things."

She bowed her head as the tears rolled down her face. "I'm sorry momma. Bye Ethan."

It only took a few minutes for us to pack our belongings. I'll explain to everyone in the morning why we took off so suddenly but I can't be in the same house with a man who I love and I thought loved me back.

Just as we were walking towards the door I heard a voice behind me. "You must be this _Bella _everyone keeps talking about."

I pushed Mackynzie behind me as I turned around to face the voice.

"And may I ask who you are?" She didn't look familiar.

"Edward's fiancée of course, I'm Tanya." She offered her hand and I caught eye of the engagement ring on her finger. "He didn't tell you about us?" She looked thoroughly confused.

I just shook my head. Edward was _engaged? _Why did he tell me so many times he loved me?

"Oh then, that's too bad. Well I'm going to find Edward. He told me he had a special surprise for me." She giggled with excitement and I watched her exit the room before I grabbed my daughter's hand and left the house.

I didn't speak another word as I sat in my car, but my head was spinning with all the new information. _Edward was engaged and he didn't bother telling me. _

I continued driving for most of the night. It was shortly after 9pm and I stopped to fuel up. Mackynzie was asleep half way through the car ride, and I was falling asleep myself. I knew we had to soon stop for the night but we were in the middle of nowhere with no sign of a hotel room.

I was about to pull on the highway again when my phone rang; it was Edward. I stared at it for a few seconds, listening to it ring then threw it in the passenger seat, letting it go straight to voicemail.

I returned to the highway with a hot cup of coffee next to me, ready to start driving again.

**Edward's POV**

"Edward, why is _Tanya_ here? Who invited her because I surely didn't and I'm the one that organized this party!" Alice yelled as she marched towards me. Alice was the one who planned the big New Year Eve party this year. Since Alice had taken over the stress of making the annual party a success my parents, especially my mom, had a lot more time to relax and enjoy the holidays with family and friends.

"Tanya? I didn't even know she was here." I looked at her confused; I surely didn't ask Tanya to come.

"Well she's here and she has been looking for you." Alice said placing her hands on her hips.

"If you see her then-"

"Eddie! There you are!" I was cut off by the devil herself. She ran towards me with arms outstretched. I quickly moved behind the counter before she reached me.

"Let's get some things straight Tanya; number one, you were never invited to this party in the first place and number two never, ever, call me Eddie again – my nieces and nephews are the _only_ people who can call me that. Now please leave before I have to cause a scene and make you."

Tanya pouted and crossed her arms but left the kitchen anyway. I followed her to the door to make sure she left the house before turning to go find my beautiful girlfriend.

I searched the entire house and began to panic when I couldn't find my daughter either. _They have to be here somewhere. _I checked my watch for the tenth time in the past thirty minutes. It was only 11:15pm and I was already nervous for midnight.

I entered the toy room where my boys were currently asleep on the floor in front of the T.V but my daughter or her mom was nowhere to be found.

I quietly shut the door and continued my search for Bella and Mackynzie. Panic ran through me when I couldn't find them, even after asking several people who each gave me a negative answer.

Pulling out my phone I dialed Bella's number, praying she would pick up. The rings went on forever then it eventually went to voicemail. I sighed in frustration and hit redial. After the twentieth time I left her a message, "Bella, baby, where are you? I'm so worried. Please call me back."

I slumped against the wall and let myself fall to the cold floor. I must have fallen asleep because I felt strong arms dragging me somewhere. I panicked and tried to fight the arms, but they easily released.

"Edward? Are you awake?" I know that voice; _Emmett!_

"Em?" I whispered, opening my eyes to see many worried faces staring at me.

"Are you alright? I was on my way to the car, and I found you in the doorway." Emmett's voice was full of concern.

"Yeah, I um, must have fallen asleep. I was looking for-" I clutched the phone in my hand and instantly looked at it to see if Bella had called me back; she didn't. My heart broke in two at that very moment. I pushed myself off the floor and left the room; I just needed to be alone. I heard Emmett call my name as I left him standing in the doorway but I ignored him.

It was now 12:30am. I missed New Years with my kids, my family and most importantly, my girlfriend. My head was spinning; I just didn't understand why she would disappear so sudden without telling me.

Sighing, I looked at my phone again and with a heavy heart, hit redial for the last time. If she didn't want to speak to me then I would leave her alone.

It rang twice, then I heard the most wonderful sound ever; my Bella's voice.

_"Hello?"_

"Bella!" I sighed in relief. "Where are you? Are you okay? Where's Mackynzie? Is she okay? Why did you leave?" I said in one breath.

_"Edward," _there was a long pause before she spoke again, but I waited, _"Why didn't you tell me you were engaged? Was it to get closer to your daughter? I would've let you get to know her, but you didn't have to hurt us, especially me, like that!"_

Engaged? "Bella, who told you I was engaged? I've been single since my wife passed away right up until we started dating! There was _no one _else!"

_"Why do you keep lying to me? Tanya clearly stated you guys were getting married!"_

"Tanya? She was the one that told you that?" I burst out laughing before I could stop myself.

When I heard quiet sobs coming from the phone I instantly stopped, "Baby, Tanya is my cousin. We're not first cousins and she always had this strange addiction towards me. Don't believe anything she told you."

_"I don't know Edward. She had an engagement ring on." _

"That could have been anyone's ring! It wasn't mine, I swear." I bit my tongue after that not wanting to ruin the surprise proposal.

_"I'm sorry Edward. I should've came to you first before over reacting. I have no idea where I am right now. I've been driving all night and I'm pretty sure Mackynzie hates me. I've ruined everything we had. I'm so sorry." _Bella sobbed into the phone. It was moments like this where I wish she were next to me instead of miles away.

"Bella honey, calm down. I don't blame anything on you and your daughter loves you. Is there anything around, like a sign, which has a place on it?" I heard her sniffing and it broke my heart.

_"There are no signs around Edward, but we're at a hotel called Super 8. I think it's in Bremerton." _

"Stay where you are, I'm coming to get you." I ran out of my room with my jacket half on. I quickly checked on my boys, gave them a quick kiss each and then made a bee-line for my car.

_"Edward its New Years, don't leave your family just to pick us up. We'll be fine here for the night and we'll leave first thing in the morning. Don't leave your family for my mistakes." _

"I'm not going because I have to; I'm going because I _want_ to. Bella, you and Mackynzie _are_ my family. It wouldn't be New Years without you guys here. Just stay where you are, and I'll be there in a few hours."

_"I love you Edward." _

"I love you too." I hung up the phone and was just about to leave the house when I heard dad calling my name.

"Where are you going son? It's almost one in the morning."

I turned to face him, "It's a long story, but I have to pick Bella and Mackynzie up in Bremerton." He looked at me strangely, confusion clearly on his face. "Like I said, it's a long story. I'll fill you in when we get back."

"Just be careful and please call when you're there. I'm not going to tell your mother until I know you're safely home."

"Thanks dad."

"Anytime, now go get your girlfriend and daughter and make things right."

I quickly left the house without another word and began driving.

***~*~*~*~Forgotten Memories~*~*~*~***

It took about three hours to get to Bremerton, but when I did I was very happy. I made a few stops along the way at 24/7 gas bar just to fill up and get a coffee or two. I was now wide away as I typed in _Super 8_ into the GPS before heading on the road again.

It didn't take me long to find the hotel. Smiling, I dialed Bella's number as I parked the car.

_"Hello?"_ she answer, her voice full of sleep.

"Hey baby, sorry to wake you but I'm at the hotel now. What room are you in?"

_"Um, 418, I think." _She whispered.

"Okay, I'll be up in a few minutes."

We hung up without another word and I quickly grabbed my coat from the backseat and locked my car doors.

I called the elevator and waited patiently for it to arrive. Thankful it didn't take longer that a few seconds. I pressed number four and my smile grew impossibly wider.

As soon as the doors opened for the fourth floor I wasted no time finding Bella's room and knocking softly.

The door swung open and I only had a few seconds to drop my things before Bella was in my arms, sobbing into my neck.

"I missed you so much, I'm so sorry." Bella cried as I held her. Tears fell down my cheeks but I didn't stop them.

"You have no idea how worried I was when I couldn't find you. I kept trying your phone but you wouldn't pick up. I was actually minutes away from calling the police. Don't ever scare me like that again." I whispered into her hair. We walked into the room side by side and closed the door.

"I was so upset when Tanya showed me the ring, I-I just wasn't thinking. I grabbed Mackynzie and drove; we ended up here just before you called." She told me, still clinging onto me as if I was going to disappear.

"When we get back I'm going to call Tanya and make her apologize. She had no right to do that." I shook my head in disbelief.

"Don't worry about it, it's done and over, and I have you in my arms again." She sighed, wiping her tears again.

"I love you baby." I tilted my head so I could reach hers which was on my shoulder and kissed her lips before she could reply. When we came up for air she replies with my exact words.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, but it was a comfortable silence. She lifted her head off my shoulder when I made a move to get off the couch. I figured it was now or never to pop the question. I had already cleared it with Mackynzie, which was another reason why she was probably so upset to leave and my boys loved the idea of Mackynzie becoming their sister officially.

She looked at me confused when I stood from the couch and grabbed my coat off the back of the chair. I inhaled and exhaled loudly before turning back to look at Bella.

I smiled as I walked closed towards her, "Bella, since you came into my life it has gotten so much better. The boys are so happy to have an older sister and they are even happier to have a mom. I can't believe how much Mackynzie has me wrapped around her little finger and I have only known her a few months. I know this is soon but I feel like it's the right time. I've always wanted to have a real family for my boys and now I finally have one." I dropped to one knee as I took another breath and pulled the little black box from my coat pocket. Bella's mouth dropped open as she gasped and tears began to form in her eyes. "Will you make me the happiest man on earth and do me the honor of marrying me?" I opened the box revealing the ring and waited with baited breath for her answer.

I didn't have to wait long for her to nod her head excitedly and whisper "yes." I slipped the ring on her finger just in time, as she jumped in my arms soon after.

***~*~*~*~Forgotten Memories~*~*~*~***

After we both calmed down enough, we got a few hours of sleep. Mackynzie woke us up by squealing when she saw me in the bed. She hugged me tightly and repeated "Daddy, daddy, daddy" over and over again.

It was shortly after nine thirty am when we have everything packed and were leaving to go home. Bella decided to drive her car and I drove mine, Mackynzie took turns changing vehicles whenever we stopped; which was often.

It took us longer than normal to drive home because of our constant stops, but we made it home in one piece and only a little less than three hours.

Noah and Ethan were around my legs as soon as I stepped in the house and Mackynzie was in my arms because she had fallen asleep. We didn't tell Mackynzie we were getting married because we wanted to tell everyone together.

The house was just as busy as last night because now everyone was rushing about to get dinner on the table. We finally got everyone together and stood together holding hands as we announced our big surprise. Alice and Rosalie was giving Bella funny looks as we watched for everyone to pile in the living room but I choose to ignore them and focus on my beautiful fiancée next to me.

I cleared my throat to get everyone's attention, "As you all know, the three of us disappeared last night for a few hours due to a misunderstanding. My big plans for midnight were ruined, but everything worked out in the end. I found Bella and Mackynzie at a hotel and popped the question." Everyone waited patiently for the news. I looked at Bella; we both smiled and said in unison, "We're getting married!"

It took a few seconds for the news to sink in, but when it did everyone was congratulating us and asking us many questions I haven't even begun to consider. We knew Alice and Jasper's wedding was less than a week away so we decided not to plan anything until that was out of the way.

I thought the news was over and was just about to gather up my children for dinner when Bella cleared her throat. I looked at her confused, but she was just staring at my sister and her sister-in-law. When she finally caught my eye, I looked at her confused, waiting for her news.

"I also have an announcement. I'm sorry I didn't tell you privately Edward, but I wanted to wait for just the right moment. I was actually going to tell you at midnight but then everything happened…" she trailed off. "Anyway, I've been having symptoms for almost two weeks and I confirmed my suspicions last night just before supper." She paused and caught my eye. "I'm pregnant." She said nervously.

_Pregnant? Wait, Bella is pregnant, with _my_ child. I'm going to be a father again. _

I smiled brightly when the information finally sunk in and pulled the love of my life into my arms, kissing her passionately. When we broke apart she just stared at me.

"Why are you so nervous, baby? We're going to be parents, this is great news!"

"Really, you mean it? You're not upset I didn't tell you in person?" I shook my head and kissed her again.

"Why would I be upset? I'm so happy! Bella, I'm –we're- going to be parents again, together this time. We're going to make a family."

She giggled as I pulled her closer to me. Our lips barely touched when we heard a chorus of "Ewwwww" beside us. We turned our heads to see our children, Emmett, Alice, and Charlotte making 'gross' faces at us, by sticking at their tongues and pointing at it. I glared at my siblings, but they just shrugged and pointed at the kids. Bella was first to acknowledge them.

"So you think kisses are gross?" She asked the three kids standing in front of her.

They all nodded their heads.

I grabbed them in my arms –surprisingly all three of them without dropping anyone child- and began covering their faces with light kisses. Bella grabbed Noah, leaving me with two kids, and began the same treatment. She giggled and squealed until mom stopped all the fun and told them to go wash up for dinner.

They wiggled in our arms and we let them free.

I smiled brightly as I wrapped an arm around Bella's waist as we watched our kids sitting side-by-side at the 'big kids table' as they had called it. "It's perfect, isn't it?" She smiled and nodded, giving me one last kiss as we joined our family at the table.

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><p><strong>AN: So...was it worth the four month wait it took me to produce this great chapter? :)**

**Let me know by reviewing! As of right now there's only about 4 (maybe) chapters left so I want you're thoughts on the last few chapters! Reviews motivate me to write faster! :)**


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: No, sadly I don't own anything related to the famous Twilight Saga. **

**I had this chapter posted on another site and completely forgot to post it here, sorry :( **

**Hope it was worth the wait! **

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><p>Bella's POV<p>

"Okay girls, pick out which flower you want." Alice told the flower girls, Mackynzie, Abigail, and Maggie, -minus little Paige- as they stared at the walls of flowers. I had to laugh at the expression on the girls faces. Alice and Jasper were getting married in just over forty-eight hours and she promised the girls that they could pick out one _purple _flower each to be added to their basket.

Maggie and Abigail was Jasper's niece, his sister Kate and husband, Garrett oldest daughters, along with their youngest, Paige. They agreed to attend Carlisle and Esme's New Year's party since Maggie and Abigail were flower girls, and it was only a week before the big day. Alice and Jasper asked Kate and Garrett to be in wedding party along with Paige; since it was such an important event for the couple they wanted everyone possible involved.

Jasper and Alice introduced the girls during dinner on New Year's, and they have spent every minute possible together. Garrett and Kate, along with their three girls, Maggie (six years old), Abigail (four years old), and Paige (five months old), had decided to spend most of the Christmas holiday with Garrett's family in Texas but fly back a week before the wedding. Since the last fittings were scheduled to been done two days before, Alice and Jasper was okay with their decision.

Twenty minutes later the flowers were picked out and paid for and we were headed to the bridal shop for the final fitting. The girls were singing loudly as they shared the backseat of Alice's car. Rosalie, Charlotte, Kate and Paige went with Esme, while the rest of us went with Alice.

The boys were having their own fittings across town with Jasper. Liam was reluctant to leave his mom at first –since he was becoming a total momma's boy- but once Emmett gave him candy, suddenly daddy was his new favorite person. I heard Rosalie scold my brother as we were parting ways, telling him to feed his son some real food and not to load him up on sugar. I laughed as Emmett's expression when she finished by saying he would be the one staying up with Liam all night once he was bouncing off the walls.

The ride to the bridal shop was short, thankfully, and we didn't have to wait long to be pointed towards some dressing rooms. We took turned in the dressing rooms since there were only two available. I took Mackynzie with me into the first one, and Kate took Maggie and Abby with her into the second one. We continued to switch until the only one left was Alice.

The bridesmaid's dresses were a beautiful dark purple Alfred Sung style cocktail length dress with draped bodice and matching sash. The maid of honor's dress was a lilac purple, and an Alfred Sung style cocktail length halter peau de soie dress with pleated detail at bodice and matching empire waistband. Needless to say the dresses were beautiful and matched Alice's theme of purple and silver perfectly. The flower girl dresses were more of a lilac color like the maid of honor, and each girl chose a different style to match their height and age.

Paige, who was the youngest of the four, had a lilac, taffeta overlay, fully lined with rear center zipper, and was natural tea length, with a matching headband. The dress was the perfect style for such a young child, and it was very lightweight. Abigail's dress was an organza overlay with studs and rhinestone complete with a cute flower design. Next was Mackynzie who, being the 'princess' she is, wanted a ball gown type dress. Alice found the perfect dress for her and Mackynzie fell in completely in love with it the first time she saw it. The dress was, of course, lilac in colour, and the bodice is taffeta with intricate embroidery and beading while the skirt is organza with lining with three tiers of attached crinoline; the perfect dress for a little princess. Maggie, who was the oldest of the girls, picked a style that suited her perfect as well. It was a style made for an older flower girl, and she absolutely loved it. Her dress was satin with chiffon and rhinestone with a zip back closure with sashes that tied into a bow. Each of the older girls also had a lilac jewel hair comb, which matched Alice's, and black Mississauga party shoes. They looked beautiful as ever as they twirled and danced in their dresses.

All the partying stopped when Alice entered the room, followed by Esme. Tears flooded my eyes when I saw my best friend walk out of the dressing room in her dress. The only person that saw it was Esme, and even then, no details were given away; she wanted it to be a surprise.

Alice dress was perfect for her; simple yet elegant, just like her. From the day we became friends we also talked about our dream wedding. I didn't want a fancy puffy dress, but Alice, however, wanted to wear the perfect Cinderella ball gown dress as she married her prince charming, and that's exactly how one would describe her dress. It was beautiful; the princess bodice has a flattering sweetheart neckline and is adorned with a taffeta silver sash, perfect for Alice's small, but growing body.

"You look beautiful Ali." I wiped away a stray tear as I hugged my best friend. When we untangled ourselves, we both had tear stains on our cheeks. We giggled like teenagers as we wiped away the tears.

We were quick to get unchanged when Paige made her presence known; she had grown uncomfortable in the dress and wanted it off.

Once leaving the shop we decided it was time for something to eat. We had reservations at a local restaurant just down the road from the bridal shop.

"Mommy, can me and Maggie and Abby set at a table by ourselves because we are big girls and big girls don't sit with their mommy's." Maggie and Abby nodded their heads in agreement.

I smiled at my baby, "it is okay with me, if it's okay with Kate." I looked at Kate, and she nodded her head, agreeing with me. I quickly added, "You have to promise to act like perfect angels though; that means no running around, and keep your voices quiet."

They nodded their heads excitedly and went to sit in the booth behind us. Paige stayed at the table with us because she was now asleep in her car seat. It was only a matter of time before she woke and was hungry.

The rest of the day passed quickly as we were kept busy with several things to do before Alice's big day. Once we got back to Edward's house I realized just how tired I was. Mackynzie fell asleep on the way back so I had to carry her into the house. Thankfully Edward met me at the car and took her from my arms.

It was close to supper time when we got home. Alice dropped me and Mackynzie off then went to Esme's to drop off the dresses. We decided to get dressed at Esme's the day of the wedding while Jasper and the guys will be staying at his place to get ready.

Edward convinced me to take a small nap to refresh myself for tonight's activities. Alice thinks we're having a traditional girl's night in; let's just say it's going to be anything _but_ traditional. Rose, Charlotte, Kate and I organized –without Alice's knowledge- a bachelorette party for her. We won't be doing the traditional 'club hopping' but instead, just staying home, relaxing, and we may have throwing in a little surprise of our own; Alice won't know what hit her!

Edward also looked worn out as we lid in bed. I lean over to kiss his nose, causing his eyes to pop open. "You never cease to amaze me, beautiful."

I giggled as he wrapped his arms around me and started placing kisses all over my face. He ended his sweet torture with a long passionate kiss.

"You looked worried, what's wrong?" I asked as he stared at the ceiling, his arms still wrapped tightly around me.

"Nothing, just thinking about being away from you again tonight." He smiled as he looked down at me.

"We won't be out long; Alice and Jasper have a lot to do tomorrow. She needs her sleep."

"What _are _you doing tonight anyway?" Edward asked as his fingers ran through my hair.

"Oh you know, just a traditional girl's night; mani's, pedi's, the usual." He rose as eyebrow at me.

"Really?" I nodded; I didn't want him to know _every _detail about tonight. It would just have him more worried about me, and not able to enjoy his night out with the guys.

"What are _you_ doing tonight?" I knew Edward, Peter, and Garrett and Emmett had some exciting planned for Jasper tonight, but it was rarely talked about.

"Oh you know, just the tradition boy's night in; a few mani's, pedi's, maybe a facial." Now he was just teasing me.

I sat up to look at him, "Yes, I'm sure you'll look so pretty with make-up on tomorrow and your nails done." Edward paled a little but quickly distracted me by flipping me from my side to my back. I giggled as he hovered over me. "Really, what are you doing tonight? Any _strippers _I should be aware of?" I winked for good measure.

"Maybe, but they'll never be as beautiful as you." He was about to give me another kiss when we heard voices outside our door. I glanced at the clock and noticed two hours has passed and it was time to get the kids fed and settled at Carlisle and Esme's for the night.

"Maybe we should go feed our little monsters." Edward said as he gave me one last kiss, first on my lips, and then moved lower to my belly. Thankfully I avoided the morning sickness this morning so I was feeling great for the busy day. Edward placed several kissed on my slightly swollen belly.

He looked up at me through his eyelashes, "ready to go feed some little monsters?" I nodded and he quickly moved from the bed, and pulled me into his arms once again. _I'll never get tired of his kisses_.

When we walked downstairs, Noah, Ethan and Mackynzie were sat on the couch watching cartoons and eating dry cereal in plastic bowls. I shared a look with Edward before we interrupted our little angels.

"Okay kiddies, who wants a bath first?" Neither of them looked towards me as I tried to get their attention.

"Kenz, do you want to get in first? Remember you need to get a trial done on your hair done tomorrow." There was still no movement from either of my kids.

"Ethan, Noah, bath time!" Edward tried. I shook my head, now it was just frustrating me.

"Children," I walked towards the T.V and stood in front of it; that got their attention, "bath time. Who wants to go first?"

"Hey!" They yelled together as I blocked their view of the television and whatever show they were watching.

"Come on, bath time!" I clapped my hands and pointed to the stairs. _How did Edward manage to do this with two? It was hard enough with one!_

The kids groaned but moved from their spot, stomping all the way to the bathroom. Since Mackynzie was five, almost six, she insisted that she was a big girl and could get a bath by herself. I helped her with her water, and left her in the bathroom in our room to go tend to Noah who followed me upstairs as well. Thankfully, the other bathroom was just down the hall, so I could keep an eye on both kids and still be in hearing distance. As I went back and forth between the bathrooms, I noticed just how much harder this would be with a cast, and was grateful that it had been taken off last week.

Of course it took us twice as long to get the kids bathed, feed and packed, since they wouldn't cooperate with us. We threatened them several times with not being a part of the wedding, but still, it did no good. It seems as though they were on a disobedient streak and didn't show any signs of stopping any time soon.

When Mackynzie started yelling at me, was when I lost it.

"I don't want to eat brot-til-ly." She yelled crossing her arms and pouting.

"Mackynzie Swan, you will eat you broccoli or you are going to be in a lot of trouble. You will go straight to bed when you get to Nana and Poppy's house."

"I'm not _eating it!_" She screeched at me. _What was happening to my little girl? She _never_ acted like this before._

"I'm not eating my bro-tilly either." Noah said, crossing his arms. Ethan nodded and copied his movements.

"Noah and Ethan, you will eat you supper, or you will be punished." Edward said sternly, but it did no good when Mackynzie started laughing at him. The boys started laughing too, and that was when I lost it.

I left the dining room in a hurry and walked quickly up the stairs, willing the tears to stay away until I was in the safety of the bedroom. I knew it was just my hormones, but still, seeing Mackynzie and the boys act out like that really hurt me.

Once I knew the door was closed, I fell on the bed and let my tears fall. _Where did I go wrong? _I sobbed into the pillows, trying to come up with a reason about why my daughter was being so…so…_bratty_ all of a sudden.

**EPOV**

I shook my head at my children as I watched Bella hurry out of the room. I know that it may be the hormones kicking in, but it definitely has to do with our children ignoring her, and fighting with her every step of the way.

"I'm very disappointed in you three. If this is the way you're going to act when you're together, then maybe you should be split up. I'm going to check on your mother, when I come back I expect clean plates and a sincere apology to your mom.

"When we get to your grandparent's house, there's no television, or games, or anything you normally do. Instead, you three are getting your pajamas on and going straight to bed. I hate punishing you, but when you're disobeying your parents, we really have no other choice. Now eat, I'll be back in ten minutes."

As I left the room I could hear quiet sobbing. My heart broke at the fact that I made them cry, but it wasn't right to disrespect your parents. I raised my kids better than that, and I'm sure Bella raised Mackynzie better than that as well. We're going to have a serious talk with the kids after the wedding, and find out why they are going on a rebellious streak suddenly.

I knocked on the bedroom door softly, "Bella?" I tried the door knob and was surprised to find it unlocked. I entered the room and found Bella face first on the bed, sobbing quietly.

"Bella honey, are you okay? All this stress isn't good for the baby." She turned to face me; her eyes were red and swollen, and her cheeks were covered in tears.

"Where did I go wrong Edward? What did I do to make them hate me so much?" this brought on a fresh round of tears as I pulled her into my arms.

"You didn't do anything honey, I don't know why the kids are acting the way they are, but I will get to the bottom of this. If they want to act like…like…"

"_Brats?_" Bella interrupted.

"That's one way to put it." I laughed before growing serious again, "if they want to act like spoiled brats, then they are going to be punished; plain and simple. I know they are only four and five, but that's still no reason to disrespect your parents."

"Is it my fault Edward? Is all this too much for them? Moving in with you, the baby, and now getting married? Maybe we shouldn't have moved too fast." Bella started crying again as I rocked her in my arms.

"Shh, shh, love; it's _not_ your fault. We asked the kids, remember? We ask them they were alright with the move and everything. They were fine with it, in fact, they loved that they were going to have _two_ parents instead of one. Don't you ever think this is your fault. The kids are probably just going through one of their phases, they just happen to experience at the same time. Regardless, that's no excuse." I kissed her forehead and brushed away her tears.

"I don't know what I did wrong Edward, I just don't."

"Nothing, love, you did nothing at all wrong. Come on, let's get the kids ready to go and enjoy our night out."

"How am I supposed to have a good night when all I will be thinking about are the kids? What if they start yelling at Esme and Carlisle?"

"They are being punished, honey, they are going straight to bed when we get to mom and dad's; no questions asked. And if, for some reason, they decide to start yelling and going against mom and dad, they had rebellious kids of their own at one point; they'll know how to handle it."

Satisfied with my answer she stood from the bed and went to gather the rest of our things for tonight. Once we were done packing, we walked downstairs to where the kids were, surprisingly, still at the table, empty plates in front of them and their heads lowered.

When they heard us coming, Noah was the first to look up. He ran towards us and wrapped his tiny arms around mine and Bella's legs before bursting into tears.

"I'm sorry daddy, I promise I'll be a good boy, please don't give me away. I will listen and eat my veggietables. I don't want to leave you and mommy. I can be a good boy, I promise." I picked my little boy up into my arms and hugged him tight.

"Daddy and mommy will _never_ _ever_ give you away, don't you ever think that we will. We love you and Ethan and Mackynzie; don't you ever think any different." He nodded into my shirt and I reached into my pocket to grab a tissue and wipe his snotty nose. Ethan and Mackynzie soon followed with the tears and apologizes, and Ethan repeated Noah's words almost exactly as I held my children in my arms. We moved to the living room and sat them on the couch between Bella and I, holding them very close for comfort and to let them know they are loved.

"Why would you think that we would give you away? We love you all so very, very much."

Mackynzie sniffed, "Ty-Tyson said that h-his mommy was ha-having a b-baby, an-and he li-lives with h-his da-daddy n-now." The tears returned again as I shared a look with Bella. Someone was putting false thoughts into our children's heads.

"Honey, can you tell me who Tyson is? Catch your breath first, and then tell us who he is, okay?" She nodded and took a few deep breaths with Bella's coaching before she spoke again.

"He's not in Aunt Ali's class. He is in Ms. Turner's class. He told me that my mommy and daddy won't love me any more when they get the baby. He is mean and I don't like him." I wiped a few stray tears from her eyes and I stared at my baby girl. I will definitely be asking Alice about this kid, but for now, we had a wedding to make perfect for my baby sister so it would have to wait.

"Don't worry sweetheart, daddy will find out why he has told you all this. But remember one thing for me, Ethan and Noah too, no matter how many more babies we have, me and Mommy will _always_ love each of our children the same, okay?" That nodded I kissed each one of their heads, saving Bella for last who had started crying sometime during our talk. I kissed away the tears, and we were finally ready to go to Mom's house to drop the kids off, and then head out for Alice and Jasper's parties.

The kids clung to Bella like glue as we were trying to leave the house. They thought their punishment had been lifted as we reached my parents, but when I told them to go get ready for bed, the begging and tears started again.

They tried to plead with me to let them stay up, but I just couldn't do it; if I let them get away with this punishment they'd be expecting it all the time.

When they saw that I was reluctant they turned to their mother and started pleading with her. It broke my heart when she looked at me with pleading eyes.

I shook my head and motioned to the door. With one least sigh she looked down at the children who were now attached to her legs.

"Please mommy, can we watch lil' ponies? We promise to be good, pleaseeee." Noah begged.

"I'm sorry guys, but it is bed time. You didn't listen to mommy and daddy tonight, and this is your punishment. Tomorrow you can watch lil' ponies, but now it's time for bed. Now come on, I'll tuck you in before we leave."

Mackynzie pouted and detached herself from Bella's legs, her bronze ringlets bounced around her face as she marched away from a stunned Bella; _she's defiantly her mother's child. _"I wanna watch lil' ponies." Mackynzie screeched at Bella as she stormed up the stairs.

Bella was about to chase after her when Mom placed her hand on her arm. "Don't worry about her sweetheart, she'll calm down and eventually fall to sleep. You two go out and have a good night, and try not to worry about the kids too much."

Bella nodded and thanked her, giving the boys one last kiss on their heads in dad's arms and turned towards me. She took my outstretched hand and wrapping an arm around her waist, I lead her to the car.

Bella was silent as we left the driveway and headed to Alice and Jasper's house.

"Sweetheart, talk to me. What's wrong?" I glanced towards Bella but she wouldn't make eye contact with me.

"Am I a bad mother? Am I giving you and the boys too much attention, is that why my baby girl is suddenly acting out on me?"

I gripped her hand tightly in mine, "There is no way on earth you are a bad mother, please don't beat yourself up over this. Mackynzie is five, almost six; you had to have known sooner or later that she was going to start acting like this? They are children, Bella, and they're growing every day. No matter how much we teach them good manners, or what's right from wrong, every child is going to have his or her bad days, and Mackynzie's seems to be today. As for the attention thing, no, not at all; no matter how many people are around you, you treat each person equally, one of the many things I love about you."

"Thank you, you always knows what to say to make me feel better." She smiled and I returned it, bringing her hand up to my lips and placing a soft kiss on it.

"I love you baby." I said as I pulled the car into park.

"Love you more." She quickly leaned over the console and pecked my cheek before climbing out of the car. I quickly scrambled out of the car to help her up the snow-covered steps, only making it as far as the door before Rose shooed me away. I shook my head and headed back to my car, quickly put her in drive, and headed to the bar about five minutes away.

Entering the club, I heard Emmett before I saw him, "Edward's here, it's about time."

I shook my head as I walked to the table and took a seat.

"Why so glum, Ed?" Jasper asked, picking up my current mood.

"It's just the kids, and Bella; they have been given her a hard time recently, and I'm really disappointed with them."

"I know what you're going through man. A few months ago, Maggie decided to throw temper tantrums every chance she got. I got so mad at her that I had to leave the house. Kate eventually got her to calm down and Maggie has never thrown a fit like that again, thankfully."

"I just hope Liam skips his terrible twos and never throws a tantrum." Emmett added with a laugh. "Enough talk about kids, let's get this party started." He clapped a hand on Jasper's shoulder, "You, my man, are going to get wasted tonight." He winked before leaving the table and heading to the bar. Jasper palled considerably.

"He's harmless, I swear." I laughed. Jasper's expression showed that he didn't really believe me.

Emmett returned with another round of drinks just as the show started. A man came out of stage and once he had everyone's attention he began speaking.

"Okay gentlemen, tonight is a very special night for a young man, Jasper Whitlock is getting married in two days and tonight is his bachelor party! We have a special show ready for you Jasper, so just sit back and enjoy the show and thank you friends in the morning; if you can remember anything that is." The man laughed as he exited the stage just as the lights dimmed. I didn't know what he was talking about when he said 'special show' but I'm sure Garrett and Emmett had an idea from the way they were laughing and nudging Jasper.

Just as the lights began to turn on several woman came out on stage in next to nothing and started dancing. They continued this and eventually called Jasper to the stage. At first he was reluctant, but eventually he left his seat and went on stage to take his seat while the girls danced around him.

When he returned to his seat his face was flushed and he quickly downed his drink, causing all of us to laugh.

My laughing stopped instantly when Emmett clapped me on the back, "Don't worry man, your wedding is next, and we'll make sure your bachelor party will be _way_ better than this one," he winked and laughed as I'm the color drained from my face.

The night continued normally after this, and by two-thirty, Garrett and I were trying to carry a drunk Jasper and Emmett out of the bar. I never had much to drink that night and was good to drive, so we eventually pushed Jasper and Emmett into the back seat of my car and Garrett jumped in the passenger just as I pulled away from the curb.

We had agreed to spend the two nights before the wedding at a local hotel, well Jasper and Garrett would be tonight anyway, so once I knew everyone was in bed I left the hotel and drove to the house to cuddle with my girl.

Knowing the kids were at my parents' house, I wasted no time stripping off my clothes and slipping into the shower. She didn't disappoint me as she wrapped her arm around me when I got in bed. I kissed her as she mumbled "love you Edward" before drifting back to sleep.

"Love you too, angel." I whispered, kissing her one last time before sleep claimed me.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it. I really hope it meets you guy's approval; your reviews keep me writing. <strong>

**I promise there will be a preview for everyone who reviews (as long as they have an account) in the next few days. And there will be another chapter as some point after December 15th. **

**Things to look forward to in the next chapter: **

**- Alice and Jasper's rehearsal dinner**

**- A/J's wedding**

**- Lots of family fun**

**- A former nuisance returns for another round! **

**- The drama begins once again**

**- B/E gets ready for a doctor's appointment! **


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